Work In Progress
by loveconquers20
Summary: Elena Gilbert has never had much success in her personal life, but when the biggest opportunity of her career presents itself, she finds herself completely unprepared to handle the chaos that ensues as her personal life begins to intertwine with her career. AU/AH
1. Chapter 1

**This is just something I thought of. I hope you like. Sometimes you just have to write something down, because otherwise it won't leave you alone. :)**

**Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, just borrowing them.**

* * *

Elena sat at the bar amused as her roommate licked the salt off her hand, downing another shot of tequila before chasing it down with a bite of lemon.

"Woohoo!" The blond yelled, clearly too drunk to notice that she was now the center of attention and every guy had their eye on her. Her blonde curls fell loosely below her shoulders as she tipped her head back to consume more alcohol.

"Come one Elena! Do another shot, we're celebrating!" She encouraged with enthusiasm, pushing the shot glass toward her friend.

Elena hesitated for second before taking the shot of tequila in her hand. Rebekah was right they were celebrating; well _she_ was supposed to be anyway. After years of hard work and dedication the best opportunity of her entire career to date had finally presented itself. By noon the next day she'd either be an intern at Salvatore & Saltzman; the biggest architectural firm in the entire city of Los Angeles or she'd once again walk away disappointed.

Rebekah tried to convince her not to think about the outcome, just live in the moment and celebrate the opportunity, but she was Elena Gilbert and the only thing she knew how to do was worry. Living in the moment was a completely foreign concept to her. Here they were at their favorite bar in the entire city where they were supposed to be celebrating _her _success and her friend was clearly having a better time than she was.

Elena hated that, but it always happened. If only she could be like Rebekah, who always seemed to relish in the little things, always so carefree and jovial. Last year at Elena's twenty-third birthday party, she watched as all her friends laughed, drank, and danced until the wee hours of the night while she spent most of her night obsessing over the fact that she hadn't accomplished everything she set out to by her twenty-third birthday. Now with her twenty fourth only a few weeks away, she felt that familiar pang of disappointment starting to set in.

"Elena, come on!" Her friend yelled from across the bar, she looked over and Rebekah was sandwiched between two guys, dancing wildly and clearly having the time of her life. She smiled sweetly at her blond friend, before looking down at the alcoholic beverage in her hand. She worked hard to get to where she was, and if she couldn't enjoy it even for a night then it wasn't worth the stress she'd put herself through. Bringing the glass to her lips swallowed the shot of tequila in one gulp, ignoring the salt and lemon provided by the bartender. Her body tingled all over as the sweet peppery taste of the alcohol excited her taste buds causing her to wince slightly from the sensation.

Elena was never much of a drinker, at least not like Rebekah who was now dancing provocatively on top of the bar, but occasionally when celebratory circumstances called for it she didn't mind a drink or two. Tonight however, she'd need more than two. Her mind was spinning with all the possible outcomes of her job interview in the morning. Her resume and portfolio were great according to her advisors, and she had a unique eye for design but Elena knew that her designs wouldn't be the thing to hold her back from the opportunity. The fact of the matter was, she was talented and her work showed great promise for a career in architecture, but it was what she lacked that would keep her from fulfilling her dream of seeing her very own design gracing the beautiful skylines of Los Angeles.

The bartender poured three more shots at her request and she downed all three almost as soon as he put them in front of her. Rebekah was right she needed to relax, and the only thing that was helping her at this point was the tequila. She promised herself that she wouldn't get drunk, but as time went by and the shots kept pouring, her mind felt fuzzy and her skinned tingled and glowed in excitement. It was the most relaxed she felt in a long time, not wanting the feeling to end she ordered just one last round of the one thing that could put her mind at ease.

* * *

The shrill sound of her alarm clock startled her, and almost instantly she felt the sharp throbbing of her temple. She almost crushed the tiny clock beside her bed as her hand reached over to silent the incessant ringing. She bolted out of the comfortable warmth of her bed when she looked over at the time and realize that she only had thirty-five minutes before her interview. How many times had she pressed the snooze button? How could Rebekah let her sleep in knowing this could be the single most important day of her career? Her mind was racing with worry as she scrambled out of her room.

Groaning loudly Elena made her way to the bathroom. The previous night was a complete blur to her; the last thing she remembered was ordering the last round of shots. Everything else after that was a mystery. She didn't even know how they managed to make it home, considering Rebekah was drunk even way before she was. Forcing those questions out of her mind she rushed into the bathroom and splashed cold water against her face. With only about twenty minutes to get ready, she took a quick shower and brushed her teeth before putting on the first appropriate thing in her closet that she could get her hands on. A plain white blouse and her favorite black slacks, she slipped on her black flats brushed her long brown hair into a neat pony tail before rushing down to find Rebekah who apparently never made it passed the couch to her bedroom.

They shared a modern loft style apartment with two bedrooms and two baths. Elena's room was upstairs while Rebekah opted for the bedroom downstairs. It was a fairly nice place, not too fancy but definitely worth more than the money they paid monthly, especially in down town Los Angeles where even some of the most rundown buildings charged way too much for a single bed and bath.

Elena shot a glanced towards her friend who was slowly getting up. "What are you still doing here Elena?"

"I overslept, and now I have about seven minutes before I'm late to my interview." Elena explained.

"And you're wearing that?" Rebekah turned her nose up disapprovingly at her friend's outfit of choice.

Not missing the look on Rebekah's face Elena looked down at her clothes. Sure they weren't the fanciest clothes she owned, but it's wasn't like she was going to a fashion show, it was a job interview. She may not have looked like a super model, but she looked professional. At least that's what she told herself to keep from rushing back up the stairs to change. There was no time, in five minutes she needed to be at the firm and she couldn't worry herself with trivial things like her outfit.

"It's a job interview, it looks fine." She said snatching her bagel out of the toaster, grabbing her resume and portfolio before rushing out of the door.

"Good luck!" Rebekah shouted as she watched her friend scurry out to her car.

* * *

Once at Salvatore & Saltzman, Elena was already amazed by the gorgeous design of the building. She'd always seen it from the outside, but never had the opportunity to go inside. It was located in the heart of downtown LA, surrounded by a slew of other business around the area. Elena could see plenty of bars and restaurants around and she didn't miss Lockwood Architects, the rival firm just across the street.

It wasn't a secret that before Salvatore & Saltzman began just a little less than four years prior Lockwood Architects was the top architectural firm in the city. In a few short years they managed to lose most of their top and loyal clients to the unique and innovative work of Damon Salvatore and his partner Alaric Saltzman. Elena was very much aware of the rivalry between the two firms and she told herself that if she was ever lucky enough to land the internship, she'd be working for the best firm in the entire city.

Once inside she took a moment to appreciate the high ceilings and natural light that shone through the building. She looked down at her phone and realized she was exactly one minute late, she rushed to the receptionist desk where a short haired brunette greeted her warmly.

"I'm here to interview for the internship." She announced, and the woman passed her a form with a smile.

"Just fill this out, and the conference room should be on the third floor, three doors to your right." The woman instructed. "Good Luck!"

It took Elena four minutes to fill out her forms before she nearly sprinted toward the elevator. Looking down at her watch she realized she was already five minutes behind schedule, the interviews were scheduled to start at seven o'clock and it was five minutes past seven and she wasn't even on the right floor. Just like the woman instructed she got to the third floor, however confusion set in when she saw at least twenty other applicants both sitting and standing in what appeared to be a waiting area outside the conference room. Good grief, she didn't like her odds, there were only four internship positions and roughly twenty applicants.

Right away Elena felt what was left of her confidence dwindle significantly as she took a look around the waiting area. Surprisingly for a field usually dominated by men, most of the applicants were women, _gorgeous women_ to be exact. There were only three guys and they were the least of Elena's worries.

Instead she took notice of the woman shaking her head at her in amusement with her perfect strawberry blond hair. She wore a skin tight black dress that was cut low enough in the front to show just the right amount of cleavage. The dress hugged her in all the right places, accentuating her curves, and her bright red pumps matched her red lips which smirked at Elena condescendingly. She gripped her suitcase tightly with her perfectly manicured nails and sauntered over to where Elena stood.

"I'm Andie." The woman introduced herself exuding a confidence that Elena only wished she possessed.

"Elena." She replied feeling more than a little uncertain and doubting that Andie really just wanted to introduce herself.

"Nice to meet you Elena, "Andie said before walking back to her seat.

Elena looked down at her watch once more and it was fifteen past seven and still there was no sign of this Salvatore or his partner Saltzman. Elena didn't know much about her bosses aside from what she read on the internet and whatever information her professors could provide her with. However, she was aware that Damon Salvatore was one of the youngest architects and entrepreneurs in the country and Alaric Saltzman had some inspirational story but she wasn't too clear on all of the details of it. One thing she was clear on however was that punctuality wasn't their best quality.

Looking around at the other women she never felt like more of an outcast. She soon regretted shrugging off Rebekah's criticism of her outfit. The women were definitely dressed to impress the bosses, their tight pencil skirts showed off their curvy figures, unbuttoned blouses left very little to the imagination, and the six inch heels made their legs appear to go for miles.

Looking down at her plain white blouse and her straight black slacks she tried to gather all the self confidence she could muster, which wasn't an easy feat considering everything she'd gone through in her personal life in the last few years. Work and school were usually the only two places where she could feel good about herself; she hoped that wouldn't have to change if got the internship.

* * *

Damon traipsed aimlessly into the elevator with Alaric following closely behind him, practically guiding him in the right direction. After oversleeping his friend and partner had to come drag him out of bed and practically force him into coming to work. He'd forgotten completely that they had interviews scheduled that required his presence otherwise he would have rather worked from home with the kind of mood he was in.

His good ol pops rung him up at four o'clock in the morning, after ages wanting to discuss matters that he frankly had no desire to speak to him about. Having seemingly no choice Damon was forced to promise they'd have a sit down at some point during the next few weeks because apparently there were important issues that needed to be addressed between them. He thought he'd made himself clear about where he stood as far as their so called 'family' but for some reason it seemed his father had a hard time comprehending. He couldn't decide who he wanted to see less, his sorry excuse for a father or his judgmental and utterly spineless brother, it was definitely a tossup. He inwardly cringed whenever either one of their numbers showed up on his caller id.

As if his day wasn't totally screwed enough, he was going to be subjected to hours with a bunch of amateur architect wanna be's. Great, he thought annoyingly. Why the hell were they even in cahoots with that University again? Oh right, they were doing it as a favor to a friend, well Ric's friend to be precise, Damon didn't owe anyone a damn thing and he certainly didn't use his business to do favors.

But alas a deal is a deal, and every year whenever they found themselves hiring for entry level positions they'd extend the application invitations to ten graduate students studying architecture at the local university, not that he actually had any intention of hiring any of them. The agreement was that they'd interview them; he never guaranteed that they'd get hired. Besides they didn't need amateurs running around the place fucking everything up. They were running a business, the best in the entire city; possibly even the state and they didn't strip the Lockwood's of their title by hiring a bunch of inexperienced students to work for their company.

"Come on man, cheer up. We get to pick on the fresh meet today," his best friend encouraged patting him on the back.

"Ugh, can't you just do the interviews?" Damon asked his tone laced in annoyance. He would've really rather be doing just about _anything _else.

"No, you're not getting out of this one." Alaric told him.

"Elijah's your friend, not mine." Damon reminded him. "You agreed to babysit for him, not me."

"What about the other ten applicants?" Alaric answered. "They're not Elijah's students, so they don't count, you have no excuse Damon and you're not bailing out on me."

"Fine," Damon agreed begrudgingly before pressing the three.

Once they'd gotten out of the elevator they were greeted by a thunderous applause coming from the twenty something applicants, Damon guessed it was a show of appreciation, but he mostly believe it was just the beginning of a lot of sucking up.

"Yeah, Yeah Yeah... Thank you. Amy Bradley. You're up first." He announced reading his clipboard uninterestedly.

Once they got settled in the interview process began.

Amy Bradley. The first thing Damon noticed was her humungous rack, which seemed to want to jump out of the entirely too small blouse that she wore. She was rambling even before any questions are asked, about her tough childhood and her charity work, none of it seemed sincere, and Damon fought the physical urge to role his eyes. Her portfolio was sub-par, her resume nowhere near impressive. Damon looked at Alaric and he knew they had a solid understanding. Amy Bradley wouldn't be getting an internship with their company, but they'd interview her anyway, just out of courtesy. Starting with all the standard questions:

"Architecturally speaking where do you see yourself in five years?"

"What are you aspirations as an architect?"

"What do you think you can bring to this company?"

"Why do you wish to work at Salvatore and Saltzman?"

They listened to her rambling for ten more minutes before Damon abruptly cut her interview short, thanking her for coming and promising to keep in touch. Once she stepped out of the door, he balled up her resume and tossed it over to Ric, who shot it from long range into the trash can behind them.

"God, I just felt awful doing that, you're a horrible influence."

Damon let out a genuine laugh, "I'm the best thing that ever happened to you."

The next few applicants were no better and the more Damon sat having to listen to their boring life stories, and reading their resumes full of irrelevant information, the more enticing a three story jump out of the window seemed to him.

But all hope was not lost as Miss Andie Starr walked into the conference room, she was smoking hot Damon noticed, and carried an aura of confidence that had his undivided attention. She wore skin tight dress, and he admired her curves from where she stood. Her resume was impressive; portfolio was the best he'd seen all day. She could have the internship _and_ the job as far as he was concerned. Andie wasn't subtle about her interest in him either, she'd winked at him a few times, laughed flirtatiously at his comments, swung her hips more than she needed to get his attention. And boy did she have it! He was used to women throwing themselves at him, so it wasn't new. This is exactly what he needed someone to spice things up around the office. Andie Starr was definitely going in the YES pile**.**

He looked at Ric who wore an almost disapproving look and soon as Andie left the room, they deliberated.

"She's the best one we've seen all day." Damon reasoned.

"Yeah, but I don't like the way you're looking at her or the way she was looking at you for that matter," Alaric admitted.

"Don't be silly Ric; I know how to separate business from pleasure."

"Yeah, maybe you do. But I don't know if _she_ does."

The next few applicants were more of the same, but they manage to agree on two more who were not as bad as the others, they weren't great by any means but Damon thought they had potential to not suck completely.

Just when he thought this dreary day had ended and he got ready to pack his shit and leave, Ric pulled him back down in his seat and informed him that there was just one last Elena Gilbert that had yet to be interviewed. Damon fell back against the chair in defeat before telling Alaric to call her in.

Elena walked meekly into the conference room, her resumes and portfolios in hand, handing a resume to each one of her potential employers. She felt herself getting nervous as she stood before these two gorgeous men who looked like they'd just fallen off a page of some magazine she couldn't name. She stood there awkwardly for a few moments drinking them in as they looked over her resume and portfolio. Her eyes were glued to Damon Salvatore.

Sure she'd seen photos of him online and in the brochures her professor had given her. It was obvious that he was a pretty handsome guy with his dark hair and blue eyes, but seeing him in person she realized just how little justice the pictures did his appearance, it was almost as if all of his great features were exaggerated in real life. His dark hair was a rich raven black, messy and unruly but only in the best way. His blue eyes were the most beautiful shade of cerulean she'd ever seen in her life. Alaric was handsome as too, with his sandy brown hair, his eyes slightly darker than his partners. But Elena's eyes kept falling back on Damon.

"This is impressive stuff." Alaric noted, looking over her portfolio. Elena clearly had an eye for design that very few students with such little experience had.

He passed it over to Damon, who despite being quite impressed opted not to utter a word. He could tell where Ric was going with this, he actually wanted to offer little Miss Elena Gilbert the internship and Damon knew exactly how he felt about that. No way he was gonna hire some graduate student to handle important matters at his firm. In three years they had never hired any of the University's students and it was one tradition he wasn't looking to break. He looked up at the girl who stood so obviously nervous before them. God, she even looked young, he thought, as he assessed her from head to toe.

She had these big hopeful brown eyes, that were fixed on him and he could tell she was expecting his feedback since Alaric had already said his peace. He looked for any flaw in her portfolio and he tried to pick apart her answers but there wasn't a single thing there. Miss Elena Gilbert was possibly the best applicant they'd seen all day, despite her obvious lack of confidence and the fact that she wasn't well versed on how to dress to impress her bosses.

"Looks like you're in Gilbert." He said almost begrudgingly and as soon as he said it, he watched as those big sparkling eyes twinkled with excitement and her lips formed a small smile. It was the first time she had smiled the entire interview, but it disappeared almost as soon as it happened. It left him feeling more than a bit perturbed, almost as if she had some kind of spellbinding power radiating from those chocolate orbs that made him crave another chance to see that smile on her face again and watch her eyes light up like the city lights again and again. _Dammit!_ That Elena Gilbert was going to be trouble; he could feel it in his bones.

* * *

**I'm not sure why I felt compelled to have Elena and Rebekah be friends in this story, I think because I feel like there were definitely missed opportunities with them on the actual show, so I guess instead of making Bonnie and Caroline her friends like they usually are in most stories including some of my own, I thought I'd switch it up a little? IDK.. Anyway, thanks for reading and leave a review let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to everyone who read or reviewed the last chapter. I appreciate the feedback.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

"So how'd it go?" Rebekah asked her friend anxiously before she could officially step into their apartment. It was no secret how important this internship was to her and she knew better than anyone else that Elena was one more disappointment away from cracking and succumbing to her own insanity. The girl was a perfectionist; which meant she was usually great at everything she did, but it made failing that much more painful to her. With everything Elena had gone through in the last two years, she desperately needed some good news.

Elena took a deep breath looking at her blond friend with the most serious expression she could muster before yelling "I got the internship!" and giggling as she watched Rebekah's face tense up before finally relaxing in relief.

"You bitch; you scared me!" The blond screamed tossing one of the fluffy throw pillows from the couch in her direction. "I'm so happy for you!" She ran up to wrap Elena into a tight hug.

"So when do you start?"

"Monday." Elena told her as she grabbed a bottled water from the fridge. "There's supposed to be four of us, and once the twelve weeks are over one of us will get the job."

"You'll do great." Rebekah assured her. "You're the best designer I know."

"Yeah I'm not so sure about that." Elena didn't need to be a rocket scientist to understand that the only reason got the internship was because Alaric seemed so impressed with her designs. Damon on the other hand could barely hide the contempt in his features as he reluctantly agreed with his partner. She knew it was the first time that Salvatore & Saltzman had offered an internship to any student from her University, and she figured maybe she'd have to prove herself before he warmed up to the idea of having her around.

"I don't know why you always sell yourself short Elena."

"Let's just say I failed to impress one half of the firm." Elena explained.

"And who would that be?"

"Damon Salvatore." Elena informed her.

"You mean the hot one?"

Elena failed to hide her blush at her friend's comment. "Yeah the hot one." It was true; the man was clearly good looking, way above average, possibly even the best looking guy she'd ever met. Oh god, why was she already comparing him to other guys? She momentarily chastised herself for losing her train of thought.

Damon Salvatore obviously didn't think she was good enough to work at his firm, and she if she couldn't impress him with her talent, she didn't know how she'd ever get his approval. Wait, why would she even want it? He only proved how very rude he was when he barely glanced at her the entire time during her interview, he made it clear that she was boring him and that he'd rather be anywhere else. _What an ass. _She thought quietly to herself. It was going to be a long twelve weeks.

"So screw him." Rebekah replied flippantly, taking her out of her thoughts. "You're a damn good designer and if this Salvatore guy doesn't see that, then it's his loss, but that outfit probably didn't do you any favors" Rebekah shrugged before sliding off the couch, making her way toward the kitchen cabinet and grabbing a bottle of tequila. "Now, let's celebrate!"

Elena shook her head; she could always count on Rebekah to make her feel better even if only a little. Despite only meeting each other in college a few years back she felt like she'd known Rebekah all her life. They balanced each other out like friends should.

Elena didn't have many friends even back home in Mystic Falls. She was usually too shy to approach the any of the other kids in high school, and aside from very few exceptions not many people took interest in her. She was dateless at her senior prom, spending majority of the night sitting unnoticed in a dark corner watching as all the others danced and celebrated. It was certainly the story of her life. She always did exceptionally well in school and worked hard at in all of her professional endeavors but socially she just never fit in.

Guys weren't flocking to date her, like they often did with Rebekah whenever they were out and about around town. Elena would be lucky to even get noticed at all. Rebekah would joke that if she dressed up more there's no way a guy would be able to resist her. But Elena didn't want some guy who was only concerned with her appearance, she wanted someone who could appreciate her intellectually and for the good person she strived to be. Plus, who was she kidding; no way could she ever be as hot as Rebekah there wasn't a stylist in the world who could work such a miracle.

A couple times she thought she'd found that guy, only to be left bitter and disappointed from being broken up with. It was always the same excuses; _we should see other people._ Then there was Sam who flat out told her how dull he found her and that he'd been cheating on her the entire time they were together. For days Elena didn't leave her room, spending most of her time crying in her pillow like a lovesick teenager. Never had she experiences such a betrayal. To make matters worse she had to run into him multiple times at the bar they both frequented, with his obviously much hotter girlfriend draped all over him. Elena would watch on bitterly torturing herself as the other woman threw herself at him, laughing flirtatiously at his every word.

She and Sam weren't exactly serious, but she liked him a lot. She thought he felt the same way and was completely blindsided by their break-up. It turned out he wasn't the person she thought he was and while she nodded appreciatively every time Rebekah told her she dodged a bullet, she couldn't help but feel like something was wrong with her. There had to be a reason why no guy wanted to be with her, maybe she was dull after all. Maybe she was destined to grow old and befriend a bunch of cats.

The night at the bar after Sam cruelly flaunted his new girlfriend in her face, Elena didn't even attempt to stop Rebekah when she hurled a giant brick through the windshield of his car. They ended up having to pay for it, but it was still satisfying to see the horror on his face when it happened. Rebekah always came to her defense, always standing up for her when she couldn't do it herself. In return Elena kept her friend grounded, and she knew how volatile the feisty blond could be when she felt her loved ones being threatened and Elena usually did her best to steer her friend away from getting into trouble.

Elena grabbed the shot glass from the counter listening as Rebekah gave a toast to her new job before downing the alcoholic beverage in one swallow. She savored the taste, squeezing her eyes shut and feeling the slight tingle in her ears. Leave it to Rebekah to find an occasion to drink every day of the week.

"I have an idea!" Rebekah shouted, as she slammed the glass on the counter.

Elena could tell from the playful mischief that danced in her eyes that she wasn't going to like her friend's suggestion.

"We tomorrow afternoon we should hit up the mall."

She had a feeling she knew where this was going. It wouldn't be the first time Rebekah tried to make her over, but somehow this time she didn't protest vehemently like she would've a few weeks ago. _Why not?_ Starting a new job was like a new beginning for her, and she could certainly use the confidence boost.

"Fine," she relented, laughing as her friend squealed excitedly.

* * *

Monday came much sooner than Elena anticipated; she couldn't ignore the way her nerves tingled in apprehension. She was both anxious and excited. It was her first day of work and it felt like her first day of high school all over again. Spending the whole weekend shopping for new work attire proved to be hopeless as she found herself throwing on her blue striped pant suit instead of one of the many outfits Rebekah had picked out for her.

Elena made a mental note to sneak out before her friend could see her; she didn't want to have to explain why she didn't feel comfortable putting on anything that might actually flatter her shape.

That morning she looked herself in the mirror, reassuring herself that she'd do well. _Just be confident, you can do this_, she told herself, after splashing her face with warm water.

Once at the firm, she made her way over to her tiny cubicle after introducing herself to her fellow interns. The place was really busy with people running around, phones ringing loudly, everyone chattering and working. Elena loved it already. She automatically knew she'd get along with Bonnie, but Kol seemed very self-absorbed and more than a little crass. He kept talking about himself in hopes of getting Bonnie's attention, but the brown haired girl mostly ignored his boasting.

After arranging her office supplied neatly on the small metal desk, she looked around for Andie Starr but she was nowhere to be found. One look across the hall and she could see her and Damon Salvatore talking and laughing as they stood outside his office. Even though what she saw couldn't exactly be classified as inappropriate it certainly left her feeling uneasy for some reason. Wasn't there some kind of rule against employers and employees fraternizing so openly? She noticed Andie's hand resting gently against Damon's arm as she leaned forward to afford him a peak at her cleavage.

Elena felt a knot form in her stomach, how could any of them be expected to compete with that? It hadn't even been an hour since she arrived for her first day of work but it already felt like Andie Starr had it in the bag. Damon obviously enjoyed her company if his thousand kilowatt smile was any indication.

Part of her envied Andie, not because she wanted to flirt with Damon Salvatore, but she wished she had the confidence to walk up to any guy and be charming enough to hold their attention. She wasn't ugly by any means, but she lacked the social skills and the confidence to ever pull something like that off.

She watched as Damon walked into his office, and Andie returned to her cubicle which was right in front of hers.

"You're Elena right? We met at the interview." Andie almost looked shocked to see Elena sitting in front of her.

"Yeah it's nice to see you again, looking forward to working with you." Elena lied reaching out to shake her hand which was extended in front of her. Before she could get out another word, she noticed as Andie grabbed a few folders from her desk and started to walk back towards Damon's office.

* * *

Damon rubbed his temples in frustration as he pressed the ignore button on his phone. He hadn't spoken to his brother in over a year and since he was sure no one in the family was dying he couldn't see any reason why his phone wouldn't stop ringing all morning. First it was his father and now it was Stefan who was requiring his presence. _The black sheep sure is popular these days, _he thought bitterly as poured himself a glass of bourbon.

The gorgeous blonde before him smiled enthusiastically at him, twirling her hair flirtatiously to get his attention. Andie didn't waste any time making it clear that she wanting to work closely with him. She claimed she was more of a hands on kind of girl and Damon didn't miss the sexual innuendo in that statement as her eyes glinted with mischief. He liked a woman who knew what she wanted, and even though he had no plans of taking Andie on her sexual offer at least not yet anyway, he figured a little harmless flirting and conversation wouldn't kill anyone.

Unlike the others Andie seemed to have a clue about what this kind of work entailed, plus he could use help with Alaric out recruiting clients all week. But of course there were the less competent ones he was forced to baby sit with Alaric being out of the office. He'd have to find _something_ for them to do or they'd surely come crying and whining soon enough. He rolled his bright blue eyes dramatically, and they landed on many boxes of unsharpened pencils across the room. He stood up smiling momentarily at his own cleverness before picking up the first two boxes.

Once he stepped outside he didn't even need to call out to get their attention. Bonnie and Kol immediately ceased their conversation, and Elena looked up from her computer screen.

"The most important tool to an architect is right here in this box." He rested his hand on the box for emphasis. "Every pencil should be sharpened to perfection; it's the fundamental things that make all the difference." He spieled not believing a word of his own speech and barely holding in his laughter. They barely ever used pencils considering most of their drafting is done on the computer. But he remembered how tough it was for him starting off, and he didn't plan to make it easy for any of them either. Well maybe except for Andie but that's only because she showed the initiative, not because she was totally hot and practically throwing herself at him or anything. At least that's what he told himself anyway.

If Bonnie and Kol had any objections they sure did a much better job at hiding it than Elena who couldn't seem to stop rolling her eyes the entire time he spoke. He knew she'd be trouble the moment she walked in acting all shy and nervous, and now he had proof with her blatant disrespect of him. He wasn't sure what Elijah let her get away with at the university but he didn't plan on letting Miss Gilbert tell him how to run his own company, and why the hell was he so bothered by her disapproval anyway? There had been plenty times he'd walk in on many of his other employees calling him all sorts of horrible names and he never even cared enough to confront them about it. But here she sat with her disapproving stare, and it annoyed him more than he wanted to admit.

He walked away instructing for Kol to carry the rest of the boxes out of his office. He wanted to avoid Elena's self righteous glare as much as he possibly could. Goodness, why was he letting his girl intimidate him in his own building? It was the most bizarre feeling he'd ever felt and he couldn't wait until Alaric was back so he didn't have to be bothered with those stupid interns. Except for Andie of course, she was a keeper and he'd never get tired of her fawning over him.

* * *

By the time lunch time rolled around Elena was relieved to take a break from the endless whirring of the pencil sharpener. Her hands hurt so much that she was sure blisters were forming on her fingers. She couldn't believe her first day of work was spent sharpening pencils. That idiot, Damon Salvatore couldn't have degraded them more if he tried. The nerve of him, she hadn't come across anyone so arrogant in her life. And of course Andie spent the entire day working side by side with him, every once in a while she'd walk out and smile patronizingly at them while she flaunted her apparent superior status in their faces.

Even as they headed out on their lunch breaks Elena noticed Damon and Andie carrying their take out into his office, where she assumed they'd spend their lunch break. She couldn't believe how quickly her hope of getting this job faded, within a few hours she went from being excitedly anxious to completely hopeless.

She tried to tell herself that it was just Damon's company and that she could still appeal to Alaric, but she hadn't seen him all day and if his presence in the firm was always this scarce then she was truly out of luck.

Elena stared disappointingly into her salad bowl as Bonnie and Kol came to join her in the cafeteria.

"Why so sad?" she heard Kol ask and she shook her head slightly.

"I swear if I have to sharpen another pencil I'm gonna use one of those pointy things to poke my eyes out!" Bonnie ranted, slamming her lunch on the table. "How come Andie doesn't have to sharpen any?" She whined. "It's so not fair."

"That's because Andie smarter than the both of you." Kol laughed amusingly. "She's sleeping with the boss, or at least she will be."

"She's not sleeping with him." Elena argued. She didn't know why it bothered her to hear him say that.

"Do you want to bet she'll be sleeping with him soon?" He challenged. "Times like these I wish I were a woman, I'd have this job already."

"Just because she's working and having lunch with him doesn't mean she'll get the job." Bonnie looked at him annoyingly but Elena could tell she didn't believe the words that were coming out of her own mouth. "And besides that's such an ignorant thing to say."

"It's not ignorant, you're just a prude." Kol teased. "If I were a woman I'd sleep with Damon Salvatore for that job, hell if he were into guys I'd sleep with him right now."

Elena rolled her eyes but she couldn't help smiling just a little. If everything about this experience was determined to suck, at least she could laugh at Bonnie and Kol's constant bickering. That was proving to be the highlight of her entire day.

"Seriously guys, do you think he'll ever give us a chance to prove ourselves." Bonnie asked nervously.

"In his bed maybe." Kol muttered under his breath while dodging the plastic fork that Bonnie threw in his direction.

"I don't know." Elena answered. She honestly had no idea how this whole thing would play out for them, or what her next move should be. Did any of them even have a chance at getting a job at Salvatore & Saltzman now that Andie had clearly marked her territory? More importantly even if by some stroke of pure luck she did end up getting this job, did she even want to work under Damon Salvatore, who clearly had no trouble humiliating his employees?

"Maybe we should talk to him." Bonnie suggested. "You know, show him we can handle more responsibility."

"It's only one day, can you guys relax and stop freaking out." Kol interrupted them.

Surprisingly Elena decided to take Kol's advice. He was right freaking out wouldn't help them in the slightest, and maybe Bonnie's idea wasn't so bad either. She'd give it a few days and if things didn't change she'd go to Mr. Damon Salvatore herself and let him know she didn't appreciate being misused and humiliated when she was expecting to gain experience and knowledge in a field that she enjoyed immensely.

* * *

Just like that, in the blink of an eye their lunch break had ended and it was back to sharpening pencils. She grabbed her headphones out of her purse and put turned her volume all the way up to drown out the sound of the sharpener. It worked just like she hoped, now if only she could find a solution for her aching hands. She tried alternating hands but it just caused both her arms to hurt in equal measure.

She was taken out of her focus when Andie finally appeared at her cubicle and Elena watched as Andie gathered her purse and belongings, watched her lips movie, clearly saying something she couldn't make out.

Elena took the headphones off, and gave her a look of confusion. "I'm sorry did you say something to me."

"Yes I said I'm gone for the day. I'll see you tomorrow."

Elena looked at time on her computer screen, it was only two-thirty, and as far as she knew they were supposed to be at work until four.

Andie must have noticed her confusion because she answered before Elena could even ask the question.

"I had a really important appointment today and Damon said I could take off early."

"Oh." Elena answered not knowing what else to say.

Before Andie turned around and walked away, she had one more thing to add. "I wouldn't let Damon catch you listening to that; he doesn't like those kinds of distractions in the work place." She smiled smugly leaving Elena feeling even more than a little annoyed.

She was livid actually, how was it that Andie could take off work early on the very first day and she couldn't even wear a pair of headphones while sharpening some stupid pencils? Bonnie and Kol looked over at her and their expressions mirrored her own, disbelief and shock that this man didn't even bother to hide his favoritism toward Andie.

Elena almost felt like marching into his office and giving him a piece of her mind, but she didn't know what to say. It's not like she could accuse him of anything, technically he didn't do anything that was unethical or wrong. It's too bad you can't report your boss for being an idiot.

As the day wound down she managed to calm herself down considerably and when four o'clock came around she couldn't wait to get out of that place. She grabbed her purse and keys and waved goodbye to her fellow interns who stayed behind to clean up.

Pushing the elevator button she waited patiently for the door to open, stepping inside and pressing the button for the lobby. The elevator door was just about closed before she saw a hand slide in the narrow opening and the door bounced back and of course as her luck would have it, it was Damon.

Smiling that ridiculously bright smile of his in her direction, she couldn't even force one from her own lips. In that moment he was just about her least favorite person in the world, and she wouldn't even pretend to be cordial no matter how mesmerizing his blue eyes were.

Instead she avoided him, choosing to stand as far away from him as possible and averting her eyes away from him. But even then his sweet masculine scent filled the entire elevator tickling her nostrils. God, he smelled so good. She mentally reprimanded herself once again for letting her mind wander nearly fawning over such an asshole.

Elena thought about what Bonnie said at lunch earlier that day. Should she confront him about the way he belittled them? It was definitely a chance, they were alone and who knows if Andie will ever unhinge herself from him long enough to allow her another opportunity. She debated this for several moments before the elevator came to an abrupt stop. The lights turned off leaving them in complete darkness, the metal box shook vigorously and she found herself being launched in his direction, his strong arms wrapped around her instinctively as he steadied them against the wall of the elevator.

Damon became hyperaware of how close they were, her feminine curves pressing flushed against his own form. He felt the soft swells of her breast rub against his hard chest as his arms wrapped securely around her waist. She smelled like lavender and something sweet he couldn't place. He did his best to keep their lower bodies from touching since he was sure he was starting to have the natural male response to her body being so close to his.

Seconds later the elevator stopped shaking and the emergency lights came on. Elena jumped out of his arms faster than he could blink and he began to wonder if he hadn't just imagined her there in the first place. The tightness in his pants however confirmed that it was very real.

He pressed the numbers against the wall of the elevator but it didn't move. The emergency phone was out of service and had been for the last week. He took out his own cell phone but it was no use, for some reason he wasn't receiving any signal.

"Great." He muttered in annoyance. This is just what he needed, to be stuck in an elevator with _her._

* * *

_**Thanks for reading. Don't forget to leave a review. :)**  
_


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed this story. I appreciate all the comments and feedback. Glad people are enjoying the story. :) **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

Twenty minutes later they were still sitting on the floor of the elevator, neither one of them said a word. Damon made himself comfortable on the floor deciding to use the time to look over the client list that Alaric had faxed him earlier that day. His partner's ability to persuade never ceased to amaze him. Alaric had secured them the two biggest projects that had every architectural firm in the entire city salivating. Once again Salvatore and Saltzman would reign supreme; Damon smirked to himself as he slid the sheet of paper back into the vanilla folder.

It had gotten considerably warmer since they'd been inside. The humidity was so unbearable that he stripped down to his tee-shirt, sliding off the jacket of his perfectly tailored suit right along with the crisped button up shirt and neck tie. Elena however insisted she was fine, but he could see the light sheen of sweat all over her body and the way her hair frizzed up from the humidity. _Fine, have it your way_ he thought. He decided not to push it since it was clear she wasn't in the best of moods. Hell it's not like he had nothing better to do with his time then to sit hot metal box all evening, yet he was still trying his hardest to be polite, while she was practically staring daggers at him.

After what felt like hours of trying Elena had finally managed to get some signal on her phone and dialed the front desk. Rose, the receptionist answered her and assured them that she'd notify the fire department right away.

Still an hour later, they'd yet to hear from anyone and Elena was really starting to feel the effects of the heat as she desperately searched for the tiny bar of signal on her phone with no luck. Pulling her hair into a tight bun, she stood up and held her phone up toward the ceiling. Still nothing.

She refrained from saying much to Damon, in an effort to keep her disdain from seeping out of their every interaction. Every few minutes or so she'd find herself staring and wanting to slap that arrogant look that seemed to be permanently attached to his face. He had the nerve to try and make small talk after the way he humiliated them, Elena scoffed out loud without even meaning to.

"Did you say something?" He looked up from whatever super important file he'd been staring at the entire time they were there.

"No." She answered.

"Are you sure? It sounded like you did."

Elena rolled her eyes which prompted lopsided smirk from her boss. God, she hated that stupid smirk but she just knew it had all the other women swooning.

"I didn't say anything." Her voice was very controlled as she tried to make her annoyance less apparent.

"Well is there something you want to say?" Damon challenged standing abruptly from where he sat. If Elena was going to work for him he wouldn't tolerate her incessant eye rolling. He didn't know what he did to garner such disrespect but he planned on getting to the bottom of it, like now.

"No."

"Are you sure? It sure seems like you do." Damon was stalking towards her in the tiny space of the elevator.

"What are you talking about?" Elena gave him a look of confusion that he clearly wasn't buying if the humorless laugh that escaped him was any indication.

"I mean the fact that you can't seem to stop glaring at me like I stepped on your kitten." He challenged.

"I don't know what you're talking—"

"Of course you do. Come on Elena don't play dumb with me." He interrupted. There was barely an inch of space left between them as Damon continued to invade her space. He could practically feel the panic in her breath and his body was practically humming from having hers pressed against him just moments earlier. But he needed her to talk; he refused to have this awkward tension lingering between them for the duration of her internship.

"Fine! Am I wasting my time here?" Elena let out all the frustration that had been building up since the moment he stepped into the elevator.

"So, you didn't want the internship?" He couldn't believe what he was hearing, he barely wanted to hire her in the first place and now Miss Gilbert thought she was too good to work for him? He wanted to laugh at all the irony there.

"I wanted the internship, what I didn't want was to have my time wasted."

"So you think this is a waste of time?" Damon laughed in disbelief. The nerve of this girl, who the hell did she think she was? He knew plenty of applicants who were dying to take her place and even have the slightest chance of working for his company. Obviously little Miss Gilbert here was a spoiled and entitled brat.

"I spent the entire day sharpening pencils that I'm sure no one will ever use. I call that a waste of time."

"Everyone has to start somewhere Elena. Do you think I just woke up with this company sitting in my lap?"He questioned. Damon usually would never bother explaining himself to anyone, especially not some clueless intern who knew nothing about running a company. He had no clue why he was even humoring her with a response; he didn't owe her a damn thing. It was his company and he'd run it however it pleased him, to hell with how she felt about it.

"I guess none of that applies to Andie." Elena deadpanned.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Damon looked at her with a confusion that only served to make her blood boil even more. Was he really just going to stare at her with that blank look on his face as if he had no idea what she was talking about? Andie was all but in his lap the entire day, not to mention he allowed her the luxury of leaving early for her super important appointment on the first day of work.

"It's obvious you've taken a liking to her, and I guess I'm not sure what that means for the rest of us."

Damon debated whether or not he should even reply to her. Sure maybe he'd been a tad bit inappropriate with Andie and failed to be subtle about it but he wasn't used to _his_ employees calling him out on his behavior. It was his company after all. He did what he wanted, and no one dared to question him, well maybe except Alaric. Yet somehow Miss-know-it-all Gilbert felt it was her place to tell him off about his behavior. Especially since it's not like she made any effort to get noticed, professionally or otherwise.

"It's not about me preferring Andie, but she's shown the initiative and makes it clear that she really wants this job, you haven't."

"So in other words, unless I show up to work practically naked and throw myself at you I don't stand a chance?" She looked at him fixedly waiting on his response. After the crappy day she had, she was feeling a little bold, and if Damon didn't plan on giving her a fair shot at getting this job, the least she could do is call him out on his crap. After all he pretty much asked for it.

He laughed humorously, but for some reason the thought _really _turned him on. Seeing her around the office about as uptight as nun left a lot to his imagination. Not to mention their proximity, the unbearable heat and the way her lower lip extended in that adorable pout had his mind forming wicked thoughts. Now thanks to her comment he was imagining her in all kinds of inappropriate attire. He silently thanked god for the dim lighting as he was sure his pants had tightened considerably.

"Look, I'm not saying Andie's methods are the best, but at least I can tell she's confident in her work. That's what I'm looking for." He spoke bluntly giving her a penetrating stare.

Hearing that, Elena felt about as tiny as an ant as his words echoed in her mind; having a complete stranger point out her insecurities like it was the most obvious thing in the world felt like a stab to the gut. Elijah kept saying she needed to be more confident, that she couldn't expect anyone to have more confidence in her than she had in herself. He was obviously right because after spending a short time with Damon he could see her for the insecure little girl that she was.

She chose to ignore his inquiring gaze all together, and pushed herself away until her back hit the wall of the elevator. She willed herself not to cry, it wouldn't do her any good. They were stuck in an elevator with no means to escape; she'd never live it down if he saw her cry. He'd never take her seriously and she'd certainly have to kiss any slight chance at getting this job goodbye.

"Was there anything else you wanted get off your chest while we're in here?" He smiled smugly knowing that he'd effectively made his point.

"No." She shook her head and turned away from him to face the wall.

It was ten minutes later, and it just kept getting hotter and even more humid. It was almost as if someone had lit a fire around the entire elevator in an effort to cook them alive. Elena was now sweating profusely, her breathing was labored and she tried not to think about where they were. If she let herself realize for the umpteenth time that they were trapped in an elevator with no way out, she'd start to panic. Her heart would start racing, she wouldn't be able to breathe.

"Elena, are you okay?" Damon's brows furrowed in concern. Her face was pale, her eyes shut tightly as she tried to take in deep breaths.

"We need to get out of here, Damon I can't breathe!" She panicked as she gasped for air as she brought both hands to cover her face. Small whimpers escaped her lips as she tried to catch her breath.

"Calm down!" Damon ordered before he could start to panic along with her. He had to keep it together, and that meant finding a way to keep her calm before she passed out. He didn't know the first thing about giving someone CPR and he didn't need her passing out on the floor.

"You should have taken that off." He practically berated. Before she could utter any protests he slowly undid the buttons on the front of her jacket sliding the fabric gently down her arms. Beneath it she wore a white blouse. Her small hand covered his, stopping him as he reached to undo buttons of her blouse.

"This isn't the time to be modest; you're not passing out on my watch." He stated before removing her hands and undoing the buttons, trying to ignore the way his fingers brushed against the soft flesh of her breasts or the sight of them covered in that lacey black bra. Once he got it off, he discarded the blouse and reached over to grab the file that he'd been reading moments prior.

He repositioned himself back on the floor, pulling her down in front of him. Using the folder as a make shift fan to provide her with air.

For twenty minutes they stayed like that, her clad in nothing but her black laced bra leaning against his muscular frame, her head tucked underneath his chin as he continued to fan her. Of course it was weird to be in such a compromising position with not only a complete stranger, but one whom she didn't even like at all. But Elena didn't even try to rationalize it, not that she could; her brain cells were practically fried by the level of heat. Yet she felt calm, and the air he was administering to her felt so good. She'd think about how much she hated him when it was all over, but in that moment she just needed him to keep doing what he was doing until they get out of that god forsaken hell hole.

He watched her eyes heavy lidded with exhaustion, her lips parted ever so slightly. It was so wrong of him to have dirty thoughts at a time like this, but Christ if those weren't the most perfect pair of b-cups he'd ever laid eyes on. Watching closely as her chest rose and fell with each breath, those perfectly round swells had his undivided attention. He imagined how soft they'd feel cupped in his hand, or just how sweet her flesh would taste in his mouth which was watering like he hadn't eaten in days.

Her breath hitched and in a slight panic he was startled out of his dirty thoughts. "Are you still with me?"

She looked up arching her back until her brown eyes met his blue ones. He decided those things need to come with a fucking warning. Especially when they're equipped with all that wide-eyed vulnerability and coyness as she's laid practically topless against him.

"I'm fine." She said, her voice sounding hoarse.

He didn't say anything else but apparently his hands had a mind of their own. Stroking her hair soothingly, he heard every tiny gasp that left her mouth. If her response was any indication to how she responded in bed, he was certain she'd be loads of fun. He studied her for a second, her eyes were shut tight, lips parted as he continued his ministrations in her hair. Damon decided she was definitely a moaner. If she was barely holding it together now, he could only imagine the sounds she'd make if his length was buried deep inside her and now he was aching to hear those sounds. There was nothing more exhilarating than sexually corrupting a woman as uptight as Elena was. He wanted to give her a taste of everything she's obviously never had, only to ruin her for any other guy after him. The thought had his pants tightening all over again and given their proximity, this time he was certain she felt it. But she didn't jump away in disgust like he expected, instead she chose not to acknowledge it at all.

It wasn't until an hour later did they hear the bustling and rustling of people outside. Elena jumped away from him her eyes wide as if she just realized she wasn't wearing a shirt. He tossed the white fabric in her direction, and she pulled it over her head immediately.

"I'm sorry about that." She whispered looking down sheepishly at his groin and watching as his face went from confusion to something akin to embarrassment. Then again this was Damon Salvatore, so she had to have misread _that_ expression. Elena couldn't deny she'd lost most of her inhibitions these last few moments they'd been stuck together. It's not like she was used to having random guys disrobe her in public places. She read somewhere that people tend to lose their inhibitions in the sweltering heat; it had absolutely nothing to do with her being attracted to him at all. Just because he managed to stop her from having an anxiety attack by practically seducing her didn't mean she suddenly felt any different about him.

"Don't worry about it, it happens." The look he gave her however made her breath hitch in her throat, and her panties dampen. Yeah she needed to get out of there and fast; even a few more seconds of his lustful looks and talented fingers running through her scalp and she'd be completely at his mercy. She was grateful when she heard the door being forced open and a fresh air rushing into the elevator. They were finally out, and it only took three hours.

* * *

"Oh my god you're such a slut!" Rebekah laughed, "Tell me more." Her friend was completely engrossed in what Elena thought was the most humiliating story of she ever had the privilege of telling.

After getting home and reflecting on the events of that day, she couldn't even recognize the girl from a few hours ago who actually let her boss undress her and proceeded to give him a full on boner. How would she ever look at him in the eye again? What did he think of her now? He probably thought she was like Andie Starr and would do anything, however undignified to land that job. Well she wouldn't and she'd have to set things straight with him first thing in the morning.

"That's all of it." Elena insisted as her friend waited for more of the juicy details.

"You mean to tell me three hours of being stuck in an elevator with that gorgeous man and you didn't even kiss him?" Her friend laughed in disbelief.

"He's my boss Bekah."

"That didn't seem to stop you from letting him strip you naked." She teased.

"I wasn't naked; he just took off my top." Even Elena had to laugh at how ridiculous it all sounded, and her friend joined her as they both nearly toppled off the couch in hysterics.

"God I am a slut aren't I?"

"You're no slut. I've seen that guy Lena, and you have more self control than ninety-nine percent of the women in Los Angeles."

Elena exhaled deeply. She'd never been involved in anything resembling a sex scandal. Surely whatever happened between her and Damon was inappropriate in every way and possibly much worse than any of the flirting she witnessed with Andie.

She suddenly felt stupid for thinking low of Andie after her own little transgression with Damon. Now she was no better. There was no room for her to judge anymore, but she had no plan of ever engaging in anything like that with him ever again. Whatever that was that happened between them was over the moment she walked out of the elevator. The next day they'd go back to how things were, she'd sit at her cubicle with the other interns, and he'd pretend they don't exist. All would be right again.

* * *

Except it wasn't. Before she could even take a seat at her cubicle the next day Bonnie informed her that Damon wanted to see her. She sat frozen at her desk for a few moments as she thought about every possible scenario that could take place when she entered his office. What if he wanted some kind of encore? What if she couldn't resist him as well as she thought? Sure it was easy to tell herself that she could was there in the elevator and still couldn't reconcile that girl with the person she knew herself to be.

It wasn't until the other intern was practically waving in front of her face did she snap out of her thoughts.

"Earth to Elena!"

"Yeah I heard you." Elena said.

"So why do you look like you just saw a ghost?"

"No reason. I'll see what he wants when I get done here." Elena explained as she pretended to do something important on her computer.

"When you're done here?" Bonnie looked at her like she just uttered the most ludicrous string of words.

"Elena he could be putting you on some huge project, and you're just going to sit here like there's actually something more important going on in your life?"

"I said I'll speak to him in a minute." Elena nearly snapped.

"Geez. Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed." Bonnie held her hands up defensively before walking away toward her own cubicle.

It took almost a half hour later before Elena got the nerve to knock on Damon's door. When she was let in she saw that Andie had already made herself comfortable at a small desk right beside Damon's. She actually let out a breath of relief. Surely Damon wouldn't risk whatever he had with Andie by mentioning what happened in the elevator.

"Nice of you to finally grace me with your presence Elena I would've preferred to see you half an hour ago when you first arrived, but now is as good a time as any I suppose."

"I didn't realize it was so urgent." She tried to hide the apprehension in her voice and she was failing miserably, and she could tell by the look in his eyes that he was onto her.

"I considered the conversation we had yesterday and since Alaric is so great at what he does, I decided to take a chance." Damon explained, not missing the bewildered expression on the face of both women in the room.

"Pardon me?"

"I'm putting you on the Forbes project." He clarified.

Elena didn't even have time to process any of what Damon said before she saw the look of annoyance and anger flash through Andie's eyes. It was so fast that you'd miss it in a blink.

"As in the William Forbes Hotel?" Andie interrupted in disbelief.

"The one and only." Damon replied casually, feigning oblivion at the amount of rage building inside the blonde sitting beside him.

"We start in fifteen minutes. Can I expect you to be on time?"

"Yes of course." Elena nodded hesitantly. She didn't know what the hell was going on, but some part of it made her feel really uneasy and the look Andie was giving her wasn't helping. Just as she opened the door to let herself out, she heard her name called.

"Oh and Elena? You left this." He pulled out her jacket from lower drawer of his desk and placed on the surface.

Elena noticed Andie's eyes wide as saucers as she hurriedly grabbed the article of clothing and let herself out of the office.

* * *

"So you're letting an intern work on one of the biggest projects this firm's ever had?" Andie sat in front of him with a look of pure disbelief.

"Yep." He said matter of factly. Damon knew exactly where this conversation was heading, and he'd prepared himself to have it.

"Did she ask to be put on the project?"

"No it was my decision." He answered not taken his eyes away from his computer screen.

"And what did Elena Gilbert have to do to receive such an honor?" Her voice was laced with the kind of sarcasm and annoyance that was hard to ignore.

But he managed to ignore it anyway. "Nothing."

"What about Elena Gilbert?" Alaric walked through Damon's office eavesdropping.

"I put her on the Forbes project." Damon announced.

"You what?" Alaric looked at him skeptically.

"You're the one who couldn't stop going on about how much potential she has so I'm giving her a shot." Damon didn't understand why they were all making such a huge deal out of this. Elena came to gain experience in architecture who was he to deny her that?

"Andie, can I have a moment alone with him?" Alaric asked politely.

Once he was sure Andie was out of hearing distance, Alaric gave Damon a look of utter confusion. "What the hell is going on here Salvatore?"

Damon shrugged his shoulders pretending not to understand where Alaric was getting at.

"Why this sudden interest in Elena?"

"Isn't this what you wanted? For me to get involved and teach, well I plan on teaching Elena." Damon gave him a knowing smirk.

"She's not Andie. You can't just toy with her like you do others." Alaric challenged. "I won't let you."

"Look whose showing favoritism now." Damon teased. "Ric relax, I have no plans to take your daughter's virginity."

Alaric shook his head annoyingly. "I'm serious Damon, Elijah specifically told me to look out for her. She seems like a good girl and the last thing she needs is to be on your radar as another conquest."

"I'll be nothing short of professional." Damon promised earning him a reluctant nod from his partner.

"So what are you gonna do with Andie?"

"I thought you could take her for a while." Damon gave him a pleading look. He wasn't exactly looking forward to telling Andie Elena would be replacing her for an undetermined amount of time.

"No can do. I've already taken the other two since you seemed hell-bent on letting them rot out there sharpening pencils." Alaric explained. "But I'm sure there are some papers she could fill out or something."

"Okay great now you have the pleasure of telling her!" Damon said cheekily. "And call Elena in here."

* * *

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	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks everyone for your support. I appreciate the reviews/faves/follows. Keep them coming. I hope you enjoy this chapter, I enjoyed writing it.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

Elena sat at her cubicle trying to appear busy and doing her best to avoid Andie's suspicious looks. A few moments after she left Damon's office, Andie followed and Elena could only imagine all the accusatory thoughts running through the blonde's head. If her looks of sheer annoyance were any indication she could safely assume that she wasn't Andie's favorite person at the moment. Her own head was still spinning with the events of that morning, and a feeling of uneasiness quickly settled at the pit of her stomach. _Just what the hell was going on?_

Nothing about her previous conversation with Damon Salvatore indicated that he'd even consider letting her work with him, in fact he made it perfectly clear that she just wasn't what he was looking for. Now suddenly he's telling her that he's reconsidered? Of course the only explanation for this sudden change of heart had to be the events that followed their conversation. These were the same events that she tried to burry so far in the back of her mind, until she could convince herself that they never happened. But of course the first thing he did that morning was remind her how real it all was, making sure to return the jacket that she left behind in her attempt to flee the scene as quickly as she could.

"So the William Forbes project huh. That's a big deal." Andie spoke, finally breaking the awkward silence.

"Yeah I guess so." Elena answered.

"Are you sure you're up for it? I mean these things are a lot of work, especially if you don't have the experience."

"I think I'll be okay." It didn't take Elena long to figure out what Andie was up to. The woman didn't seem to have a genuine bone in her body. Andie was fishing for some kind of explanation as to why Damon would put her on such a huge project and Elena wasn't about to bite. Not that she had any idea anyway; it was all very much a mystery to her too.

"You must have made some kind of impression on him." The blond woman answered with a knowing smile that was about as genuine as her inflated breasts. Who could miss all the implications loaded in such a statement? It didn't surprise her however; of course Andie would think that she'd stoop to such a low to get ahead especially when that's exactly what she herself had done. But that went against everything Elena believed in, and if Damon thought for a second that their little episode in the elevator meant something more, she wouldn't have a problem letting him know how wrong he was.

Deciding not to answer to more of Andie's baiting, she chose to smile politely instead. Before the blonde could get out another word Alaric called her into Damon's office.

Her nerves were already starting to get the best of her. Her entire body tensed up and she nearly felt sick, the feeling at the pit of her stomach grew more intense. _Keep it together,_ she told herself as grabbed her purse and rose out of her seat, tugging her skirt down and adjusting her stockings in the process.

Of course it had to be today of all days when she allowed Rebekah to catch her before leaving for work. Her best friend promptly dragged her back upstairs to her bedroom and dressed her like one would a five year old, forcing her out of her gray pant suit and into a short black skirt that she kept pulling down self consciously, a purple sleeveless blouse along with black stockings and pumps to match. Never one to expose her body, having the full length of her legs and arms out on full display made her extremely self conscious. Taking a deep breath she attempted to remove all feelings of doubt from her mind. _This is just work_.

* * *

The only sound in the office was the incessant ticking of the clock and the shuffling of papers. An awkward silence ensued as soon as Damon handed Elena her assignment and she'd gotten right to work.

"Let me know if you get stuck on anything." He offered.

She looked nervous enough so he decided not to overwhelm her any more than she was. It was her first day; he'd take it easy on her at least where the work was concerned. The assignment was fairly simple, they needed to research zoning laws, building codes for the new project and Elena assured him she was on top of it so he was free to move on to more important matters.

Except he hadn't been able to take his eyes off her the moment she walked in the room in that short skirt that hugged all the curves he never got a chance to appreciate before. He'd known there had to be a gorgeous body underneath all those clothes she usually hid under. He'd seen the evidence himself after their little moment in the elevator but now looking at those legs that seemed to go for miles he found himself loosing focus. Ironically enough Elena hadn't done anything at all except take a seat in front of him yet he found it more distracting than any of Andie's famous foot jobs.

She sat there tentatively as he stared at her unapologetically. Everything about her seemed to captivate him. Years of sexual debauchery left him mostly unfazed by women's attempts at getting his attention. He'd seen everything and done it all, but every little innocent gesture by the brunette in front of him had his pants feeling uncomfortably tight. Every time she ran her delicate fingers through the silky strands of her chestnut hair, he'd imagined they were his hands. Of course there were those wicked thoughts that ran through his mind whenever she'd slip the top of her pen between those perfectly pouty lips. _Get your shit together Damon,_ he chastised himself, twenty minutes in and he'd barely even looked at his own work.

Every now and then she'd look up and catch his eyes on her but they remained fixed on her daringly, offering a challenge that she refused to accept as she eventually averted her brown ones and looked down at her assignment. Each time she looked away a small smile played on his lips. He just knew it was only a matter of time before she'd finally crack and give in. The sooner the better, he wanted to relieve this awkward tension between them even though he was mostly the cause of it.

He knew she had questions, hell even he had questions. He wasn't even sure what compelled him to put her on the project but whatever it was had to be something fierce. The attraction was definitely part of it, he was attracted to her and it perplexed the hell out of him. Damon didn't do stuck up and uptight and Elena Gilbert seemed like the epitome of both those things. He usually steered clear of those, but color him intrigued because he was sensing there was a lot more to her than meets the eye. Underneath that rigid exterior he sensed a girl who was itching to break free of her confines. He couldn't mistake what he saw in those pools of chocolate. What he saw was something tempestuous that only became more relentless the more time he spent in her presence.

"What?" She sighed heavily looking straight at him and momentarily dislodging him from his thoughts.

"Excuse me?" He was still taken off guard despite expecting her reaction.

"You haven't stopped staring at me since I walked in here, is there something I'm doing wrong?" She looked at him and oddly it seemed like déjà vu; the conversation they were having was oddly familiar.

"Look if this is about the other day in the elevator—"

"What about it?" Damon cut her off. He wondered just where she was going with this.

"I'm sorry for putting you in such a weird position and possibly compromising our professional relationship." She rambled clearly embarrassed, and it was exactly what he expected.

He gave her his signature smirk, feigning indifference. "I've seen a naked woman before, Elena. It's hardly a big deal."

The look of complete disgust that passed over her delicate features didn't go unnoticed by him. Yeah, he probably deserved that one. Truth was it was more than just a big deal. No matter what he did that night he couldn't seem to erase the image of those perfect mounds of soft flesh from his mind. Instead improbable scenarios of them covered in everything from whipped cream to sticky caramel continued to plague his thoughts as he imagined how delectable she'd taste if only he could sample.

"I wasn't naked." She bit back defensively, hot blush staining her cheeks in embarrassment. He noticed her shift uncomfortably in her seat under the scorching heat of his gaze. He refused to let up, hoping to intimidate her with only his eyes. Damon didn't know what the hell he was thinking, bringing her in on this project. He couldn't concentrate on anything while she sat there all indignant and just so fucking _hot_. It was as if he was seeing her for the first time and as much as she pretended, he refused to believe she was this timid girl who was so unsure of herself. God he'd practically been hypnotized by the deep sea of chocolate that was her eyes, and after just a few moments with her he was almost like a kid who got his first taste of candy. In his mind he pictured all the things he could do to her while all the blood in his body rushed south.

"Like I said Elena, nothing I haven't seen before. Don't get yourself all worked up." He knew he was heading straight toward Dick Boulevard but hell he didn't care; it was his default setting, he was comfortable there and it came in handy in situations like this when he was completely dumfounded.

"Well fine then." Her voice was small, uncertain and he swore he detected a hint of hurt, and there it was again, that whole innocent girl routine that she seemed to have down to a science. In a second he went from not caring to feeling like complete shit for hurting her feelings. All naughty thoughts fled his mind instantly and he was staring at her for an entire different reason this time. Elena Gilbert was an enigma, the kind of contradiction he couldn't wrap his mind around and it was screwing with his head. A woman as breathtaking as she was could use her feminine wiles to get whatever she wanted from any man. He could admit even he'd fallen prey to a woman or two though nowhere near her caliber of beauty. But the girl in front of him appeared oblivious to the power she possessed. He'd preyed on insecure women like her in the past, and really there was nothing stopping him from doing it again.

"Look, I just meant—"he started but was cut short by a wave of her hand.

"No I got it. Nothing you haven't seen before." Her tone was slightly hostile, with reason.

He practically told her she was nothing special, probably playing on every insecurity swimming in that pretty little head of hers.

"Is there anything else you need me to do?" She was all business now and just like that she managed to switch it up once more, her demeanor serious and almost threatening, completely opposite of the uncertain girl that sat in front of him seconds before.

"I'll just take a look at these." With that she slipped the files in front of him, and looked on as he examined her work. He would never admit it, but he was impressed. He had to make zero corrections and she worked at record time.

The remainder of the morning things was spent in a strained silence. The air in the room felt thick with all the things that seemed to remain unsaid. Damon desperately tried to use that time to focus on his own work, but he was almost suffocating from the tension that managed to fill up the entire space of his vast office.

He was almost grateful when he heard the phone ring, but immediately he could tell something was wrong as Rose's voice faltered on the other line. "Spit it out Rose. What is it?"

"I have another Mr. Salvatore wanting to come and see you, should I send him up?" She asked with a hesitance and apprehension that only she and Alaric could understand being that they were the only two people he ever let get close enough.

"Fuck." He cursed loud enough to earn him a weird look from Elena who nearly dropped her pen in shock. _What you've never heard a bad word before?_ He challenged her raising his eyebrows and giving her a look of his own.

"No, don't send anyone up." He commanded into the phone. "I'm coming down there." He slammed the phone down and grabbed his jacket. She flinched at the loud noise and Damon felt her eyes following him filled with puzzlement at his sudden change in demeanor until he walked out of the office.

* * *

Once in the lobby Damon let out a humorless laugh as Stefan appeared in front of him. Of course his father could never do his own dirty work. Like the coward that he was, he always sent someone else to do it, and his lap dog of a brother always felt honored. They barely greeted each other with Damon ignoring the small nod Stefan tossed in his direction.

"Make it fast." He ordered.

"Damon, look I know we haven't exactly been—"

"I mean get to the point of why you're here interrupting me at work, and I know it's not because you missed me."

"Fine." His face fell and Damon did his best not to let it affect him. "Dad and I are expanding the business overseas and we'll be out of the country for a few months." Stefan announced.

"Why are you telling me this?"Since when did they feel obligated to fill him in on their business endeavors? "What the hell are you getting at Stefan?"

"Dad wanted to be sure you could handle everything while we were gone."

Damon looked at his brother with a look of pure disbelief. "Handle everything?" A cold laugh left his lips. "I've been handling everything Stef, in case you haven't realized neither one of you have lifted a finger for her." He snarled.

"Is this why he had you come here?" Damon shook his head. "To make sure I can handle it. Since when did he give a shit?" He was practically shouting at his brother causing a few people to stop and stare at the commotion. "Since when did _you_ care?"

"I care!" Stefan yelled back. "I can't help what Dad does okay? But I love her." Stefan's eyes filled with guilt, but Damon averted his. Stefan was a grown man now and he wasn't about to let his brother use that old trick to get him to feel sorry for calling them out on their crap.

"If you cared you wouldn't follow him around like a spineless puppy." Damon challenged his eyes shooting daggers at the younger Salvatore.

"What choice do I have after everything he's done for me?"

"There's always a choice Stefan. You just keep making the wrong one." Damon walked away leaving his brother standing in the center of the lobby a painful expression on his face. Not looking back, he barely made it to the elevator before deciding he was too wound up to enter that tension filled box that once was his office. Damon knew nothing good would come out of being in the same room with Elena especially with him suddenly in such a foul mood.

Rose sent him a sympathetic look as he pushed the doors open and felt the warmth of the autumn breeze blowing pass him. He needed some time to clear his mind. He needed to calm down and maybe in half an hour or so he'd be equipped to enter that seemingly hostile office of his. He walked right into Caroline's Bakery just a few feet from his own building. The smell of fresh bread and delicious pastries filled his nose. Until that moment he didn't even realize he was hungry as he heard his stomach make a grumbling sound.

"Uh-oh I know that look." The perky blonde eyed him amusingly. "Someone's in a bad mood."

"I don't want to talk about it." Damon warned.

Caroline held her hands up defensively.

"Hey, I can't say I'd be any help anyway, but I do have this mouthwatering chocolate cake that might be able to help with that." She held up the cake in front of him and the aroma was intoxicatingly sweet.

She set the plate in front of him and just as he was about to dig in with his fork, he heard the bells on the door chime and watched as Caroline's eyes lit up. Damon groaned audibly as the footsteps approached and she threw herself into her boyfriend's arms.

_Mason Lockwood. _

Both men eyed each other in disdain as Caroline stood there awkwardly between them. Damon's history with the Lockwoods wasn't exactly pleasant. Specifically with the man that sat on the stool beside him. After a year and a half, Damon's relationship with Caroline crashed and burned and within the following months she found solace in Mason's arms. Damon didn't have any hard feelings once he realized how wrong they'd been for each other in the first place. Above all they remained friends, at least once a week he'd pay her bakery a visit; they'd chat and catch up and he allowed her to cater for any events the firm held.

Mason however wasn't exactly the understanding type. Paranoid, he managed to convince himself that Damon was still hung up on Caroline and only helped her to get back in her pants. Damon rolled his eyes at the very thought. It didn't help that once Salvatore & Saltzman set up shop across the street, Lockwood Architects had lost some of their most valuable clientele. Damon had a feeling that was really where all of Mason's anger stemmed from, but of course the guy had too much pride to admit it. Damon was sure Mason's wild accusations would only continue once he learned that Caroline's wealthy father Bill Forbes had chosen Salvatore & Saltzman to design his hotels.

"I'll take this to go." Damon signaled towards Caroline not wanting to spend another second sitting next to her boyfriend as long as he could help it. Caroline shook her head her blonde curls bouncing about over her shoulders.

"Fine." She grabbed the slice of chocolate cake from where he previously sat and placed it in one of her signature to-go boxes.

"I appreciate it." Damon smiled at her, nodded at Mason and exited the bakery. Not before hearing Caroline and Mason diffuse into argumentative whispers the second Mason thought he was out of ear shot.

* * *

Back at the office he was feeling a lot calmer but he still wasn't prepared to walk in and find Elena neatly rearranging everything that'd been sprawled out over his desk. His files were carefully organized in a single stack, his writing utensils had found their way pack into the cup were they belonged and the various other office supplies were arranged in an orderly fashion on his desk. _What the hell was wrong with this girl?_ Not that he actually mind having some of the order restored, but he couldn't understand what the hell possessed her to do that.

"I'm gonna head out to lunch now if that's okay." She informed him, slowly getting up out of her chair.

He laughed at her naivety. "We don't take lunch breaks Elena, we multi-task. Eat and work."

"That has to be violating some kind of employee rights code." She glared at him.

"Maybe, but if your lunchtime is so precious to you, I can find someone else who wouldn't mind." He smiled impressed with himself when she sat back down and pulled out a small container and bottled water from her purse.

He took his seat right in front of her, and asked her to brief him on the most recent assignment. Two minutes in her briefing he completely lost track of what she was saying, his eyes focusing on her delicate fingers unwrapping what he assumed was her lunch. "What is that?" he asked genuinely curious.

"It's a sandwich." She looked slightly offended. "Cucumbers and cream cheese, it's healthy."

Damon made a face and his eyes roamed over the carefully compartmentalize container that contained some baby carrots and a low fat yogurt. Why did he expect anything else? Elena seemed like the typical overachieving control freak, apparently that lent itself to every aspect of her life.

"Looks appetizing." He mocked taking a fork full of the moist chocolate cake into his mouth. He watched her as she watched him disapprovingly.

"Are you seriously going to have chocolate cake for lunch?"

"Yep." He took another bite of the chocolaty treat as she stared at him in disbelief. "Why? You have something against cake?"

"It just doesn't qualify as a healthy lunch." She said matter of factly. "It's full of calories and way too much sugar."

"Who said I cared about it being healthy?" He asked.

"People who actually care about their well-being tend to care about that sort of thing." She retorted.

He couldn't help but laugh at the conversation they were having. It was the closest thing to a normal conversation they had all day even laced with mocking and sarcasm. Of course he was about to ruin it because it's what he did. He wouldn't have a single regret either because that's was just who he was, and he wouldn't apologize for that.

"You know what you're problem is Elena?" He saw a glint of something in her eyes and all it did was further fuel him.

"What's my problem?" She challenged. "You're all knowing and wise. Go ahead; tell me what my problem is."

"You don't know how to live!" He answered.

"I think I live just fine thank you very much." The look on her face told him she wasn't as confident as she tried to sound.

"Prove it." He challenged he watched as uncertainty crept on her face.

"Take a bite of this cake." He took a fork full of the fluffy moist chocolate cake and held it in front of her face.

"How does this prove anything?" She questioned.

"Prove that you're not a completely uptight and you can enjoy a simple bite of chocolate cake." Damon smiled in mischief as a look of bewilderment flashed across her face. He decided to test his theory; he was going to prove to himself that there was more underneath her little prim and proper charade.

Damon was willing to bet underneath all of that was a girl who knew how to have a good time, she just needed the right person to come along and force her out of that insecure little shell that she built around herself. _Challenge accepted its all part of the learning process_ he told himself. When he was done with Elena, she'd have men eating out the palm of her hands. He was making it his mission.

She began to refuse but he let the fork hover closer to her, tempting her with the delicious treat. It smelled ambrosial, the frosting sat on top of the fluffy cake like dark cloud of chocolate. "Come on. I dare you." He egged on, feeling every bit of her resolve slowly crumbling.

Elena opened her mouth slightly, hesitating at first, but let him slowly push the fork full of the heavenly treat into her mouth, sliding it out ever so slowly. He watched a flash of pleasure flickered across her face as she indulged in the decadent treat. A slight moan escaped her lips and Damon thought it was the single hottest thing he ever heard. His eyes were glued to her face as her tongue slid over her bottom lip, licking the remaining frosting. He reached over and brushed his thumb over the corner of her mouth to wipe the remnants of cake there. His entire body tingled from the innocent touch. Somewhere along the way he ended up falling victim to his own plan as he shifted uncomfortably in his chair in an effort to relieve the tightness in his pants. His bright blue eyes were dark and hers brown ones almost black.

Somehow she managed to pull herself out of the lustful haze they'd created and gave him a triumphant smile. "There. I ate it." Damon could tell she was trying hard not to think about the professional lines they managed to cross in that single second. Somehow it didn't feel like _just_ some silly dare, or _just _cake. He watched as she tried to eat the second half of her sandwich but her appetite was gone.

* * *

**Once Again you guys, thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed. Leave a review let me know what you're thinking. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Thank you guys so much for the overwhelming response to this story. This was initially something I was only playing around with out of boredom and writers block, so it means so much to me that you all are enjoying it. I love all the reviews/follows/faves/ as I love to hear your feed-back and it motivates me. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, because I have a whole lot of fun writing this. Xoxo**_

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**_

* * *

It was the Friday night after a very stressful and tension filled work week and Elena sat stiff on her bed as Rebekah finished applying the finishing touches on her makeup.

"There." Rebekah smiled in triumph. She pondered with feigned seriousness. "I don't know why I'm doing this… I've probably ruined any chance I had of being noticed tonight when the guys get a glance at you."

Elena shook her head refusing to believe a word coming out of Rebekah's mouth despite the hot blush burning her cheeks. They'd been out enough times to know that it was actually the other way around. It was her who hid around in the shadows while the men drooled over her friend.

Picking up the hand held mirror she nearly gasped at the girl staring back at her. Her eyes never looked so bright, her lashes seemed to go for miles, and the shimmery pink lip gloss made her lips look fuller than she'd ever seen them.

Tapping her foot against the plush carpet Rebekah waited impatiently for her feedback. "Well?"

"Wow, I love it."

"So where is this new place?" Elena inquired watching as her friend grabbed an army of curling irons, combs and bobbing pins.

There was a glint of something reflecting from Rebekah's eyes, and Elena couldn't decide if it was excitement or mischief, probably a mixture of both.

"It's this upscale lounge that a friend told me about, I thought we'd go some place nice for a change." The blonde explained enthusiastically. "Supposedly a lot of hot rich guys hang out there. "

"Is that why we're getting all dolled up?" Elena laughed, suddenly understanding why her friend insisted they go to this club. Hot guys always got Rebekah's attention, add _rich_ to that equation and well… it all made sense. She suddenly understood why they were traveling half way across town to some club neither of them had ever been to.

"What about Matt?" Elena asked. Rebekah did have a new boy toy, so her friend wasn't lacking in the hot guy department, so it actually didn't make much sense after all.

Feigning nonchalance the blonde shrugged her shoulders. "What about him?"

"I don't know, it might have something to do with me hearing you two last night." Once more she tried to force the vivid sounds of her roommate's last sexcapade with her latest beau out of her head. Considering how badly her own sex life was lacking, it wasn't an easy feat. She felt like a total creeper whenever she got turned on by the endless moaning and grunting sounds coming from the room below hers. In those moments she'd press her thighs tightly together, trying desperately to relieve the aching between them that continued to deprive her of precious hours of sleep.

"You heard that?" Instead of being bashful or coy, Rebekah let out a shameless laugh. "Sorry, I'll try to keep it down next time."

Elena shook her head doubtfully. "Please." She nearly begged. "Some of us do need to sleep, you know."

"It's just _so_ good." Rebekah spoke, and Elena could tell she was recalling the previous night. "And I've had some _really_ good sex, so that's saying something."

"…Oh" Elena's voice was small and awkward. Rebekah was always eager to share the colorful details of her many sexcapades while Elena squirmed uncomfortably at every word. It was all just so graphic and a little too crude for her sensitive ears and her friend seemed to be into some really wild things that she would never even dream of trying.

Her limited sexual experiences paled in comparison and so there was really not much to share. She could only recall a few passionless encounters with her previous two boyfriends, one of which she dated her first year of college. There were no stories of steamy one night stands, or kinky role playing, or toe curling orgasms just phlegmatic memories that never lasted more than a few moments, of which most times she failed to achieve the euphoric bliss that she desperately craved.

"He does this thing with his tongue…" Elena's eyes were glued to her friend's face, as Rebekah's eyes rolled to the back of her head as the memory of her and Matt in bed replayed itself in her mind. "It's the best feeling ever..." Rebekah sighed in conclusion as if she'd managed to satisfy herself with just the memory of their sexual encounter.

Noticing Elena's silence Rebekah immediately became suspicious. "Don't tell me Sam was the last guy you slept with."

The pitying look Rebekah gave her made Elena want to crawl in a hole and never come out. "So what if he was." She said in defense.

With a look of pure disbelief Rebekah replied, "That forever ago, no wonder you're always so wound up, you need to get laid."

"I don't need sex." Elena lied. "And besides I've been busy with work and school, I've barely had time to think straight, let alone think about sleeping with someone."

"Sex doesn't require thinking Lena, it's not one of your fancy math equations, you're horny, he's horny and you have sex. Bam! Problem Solved."

"I'm not gonna sleep with some total stranger!" Elena shrieked in disapproval pulling away, almost causing her friend to lose her grip on the curling iron hovered just above her head.

"He doesn't have to be a stranger," Rebekah replied rolling her eyes dramatically. "He can be a friend."

Scoffing Elena shook her head "I don't have any guy friends, not that I'd actually take your advice if I did."

"What about Damon?" A suggestive smiled played on Rebekah's face. "Last I heard you were stripping down for him and eating chocolate cake off his body."

Her cheeks burned red hot at her friend's completely exaggerated and fabricated version of the events. A warm gush of liquid surged right through her core as she thought back on some of the events of that week. She'd never ever lusted after a man in her life, and refused to acknowledge that her sudden sleepless nights had more to do with Damon than any of Rebekah's late night rendezvous. The way he looked at her alone sent electric shocks through every nerve ending of her body, and every night when she closed her eyes, all she saw was his piercing blue orbs staring back, taunting her with something she knew was completely forbidden.

Surely she'd made all that stuff up in her head right? There was no way Damon was flirting with her, in fact he couldn't have made it any clearer after his complete dismissal of the elevator incident.

Suddenly she was filled with rage, as thought back at his harsh words. They shouldn't have affected her so much, he was an ass after all, but she couldn't help it. Her utter disdain and annoyance aside, she spent most of her first week gawking at how physically flawless he was, and yet to him she may as well be any other faceless woman at the office.

"Are you suggesting I sleep with my boss?"

"Oh please. Don't tell me you've never thought about it?" Rebekah teased.

"Absolutely not!" Elena protested.

"Whatever you say Lena, I think you have the hots for him." The blonde sing-songed in that annoying way she did whenever she knew she was right. "You've talked about him every day this week."

"Because he's an ass." Elena shot back. She spent a week being taunted by every single look he gave her, feeling completely naked under his intrusive stare; somehow he managed to seduce her with just his eyes. Elena never even knew such a thing was possible.

She became a different girl around him, finding herself doing things that she'd later question. She swore at the time it seemed imperative that she take that bite of chocolate cake, he _dared _her, suddenly she couldn't back down; just like she couldn't stop the satisfying moan that slipped from her lips or the way her eyes dilated from the sheer lust of watching him watch her.

It was like the elevator all over again. Just how many of these "incidents" was she going to allow between them? There were no more excuses, she took her job very seriously and she couldn't let him distract her anymore.

"He turns you on and you want to jump his bones." Rebekah added erupting in laughter as Elena gave her an icy glare.

"Ugh can we talk about anything other than _him?_ "

After carefully curling the last few strands of Elena's chestnut hair, Rebekah stepped back to assess her hard work. "Fine let's talk about how hot you look in this dress and how the guys won't be able to keep their hands off you."

Right on cue Elena's cheeks turned a crimson red. Standing in front of the full length mirror she admired her friend's handy work. With her hair perfectly curled flawless make up and a skin fitting red dress that dipped low into her cleavage and hugged every one of her curves, she looked like a completely different person.

"You're sure I look okay?" She asked, unsure.

Rebekah gave her a playful wink "You look so good I might have to rethink my life choices."

Rebekah was spot on about the venue.

The place was crawling with hot guys and Elena even took notice of some of the women. It was as if she'd fallen into one of those fashion magazines and was suddenly surrounded by beautiful models. A place like that didn't just allow anyone inside. The line of desperate party-goers circling the entire block was proof, but Rebekah's beau managed to come through, allowing them to skip ahead to the front of the line and talking the bouncer into letting them in.

That atmosphere inside was perfect, so different from the wild parties they usually went to. The music was loud enough to enjoy but not blaring through the speakers that they had to shout at each other. The lighting was tasteful, there were no obnoxious flashing strobe lights but it wasn't too dark where guys could get too creepy and inappropriate.

Elena immediately took a seat in one of the comfortable chairs earning her a disapproving look from her blonde friend.

"I didn't spend my time making you glamorous so you can sit here and hide Lena." Yanking her out of her seat Rebekah dragged her over to the bar where the blonde flirted her way into some free drinks.

The two girls downed a few shots of vodka and Elena was starting to loosen up a bit. Her nerves were no longer tingling with anxiety. She was relaxed and having a good time, well for a moment anyway until she overheard Rebekah whispering to the guy who sat on the stool beside them.

"Hi, have you met my friend Elena?" She heard the blonde giggled drunkenly. "She's a hottie isn't she?"

The dark haired guy smiled looking over Rebekah's shoulder to where Elena sat mortified. He gave her a small smile before replying "I'd love to meet her."

"Great!" Rebekah shouted enthusiastically. "Look Lena, he thinks you're a hottie."

Elena was sure they'd be kicked out any moment if Rebekah's outbursts continued. It wasn't the kind of place that allowed sloppy drunks and her friend was one shot of vodka away from being completely wasted.

"I'll leave you two." She smiled before staggering away from the bar.

It didn't take long for Elena to make the connection. Tyler Lockwood, brother of Mason Lockwood and part owner of Lockwood Architects, Damon and Alaric's biggest rivals. Not that Tyler bothered to be modest about it, he'd pretty much bragged about how important and wealthy he was before Elena even got a word out.

"How about we get out of here, just you and I?" He gave her a look that surely might have worked on any other girl there, but Elena knew that line was code for 'let's have sex.' Tyler was quite handsome, he had dark hair, gorgeous brown eyes and a nice smile, but she'd known him all of twenty minutes and she couldn't accept what he was offering. Plus she could tell just like Rebekah, Tyler had one too many to drink. His speech was starting to slur, and he kept leaning forward. She couldn't decide if he was trying to kiss her, or if he simple wasn't able to sit up straight.

"Actually, I came here with my friend and I don't want to leave her alone." She smiled politely, happy that she'd found the perfect excuse. It was both reasonable and true; she wouldn't leave Rebekah alone, drunk in a place that was crawling with men itching to get laid.

"That's a pathetic excuse." Tyler looked offended; clearly he wasn't used to being rejected.

Elena was confused, it's not like she'd been rude to him. "It's the truth."

His laugh was laced with contempt. "Save the act, look around sweetie; you're hardly the best thing here."

Elena tried hard to blink back the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. She couldn't figure out what she did wrong, she politely turn down his offer and he was treating her like she spat in his face.

"I can get any woman in this place, I don't have to deal with a stuck up bitch like you."

With that the tears flowed freely down her cheeks. She brought her hand up to wipe them away just as quickly as they spilled. This was the most humiliating night of her life. Why did Rebekah have to introduce her to such a jerk?

"When you're done bullying the ladies some of us would like to have a drink at the bar" She heard a smooth voice utter behind Tyler.

Tyler turned around and the disdain on his features multiplied times a thousand. Elena could tell whoever it was; Tyler must have hated them more than her.

The mysterious guy had to be none other than her boss; she realized it when Tyler stepped off the stool. _Of course. _She thought bitterly. Her puffy red eyes met his blue ones briefly before she immediately forced them away. She couldn't understand what she saw in them, he seemed even angrier than Tyler was. _How long had he been standing there? Did he hear all the horrible things Tyler said to her?_ The entire situation was beyond embarrassing.

"Maybe I'm not done." Tyler stood up and got right in Damon's face.

"You want to try that again?" Damon gave him a menacing glare, and stepped closer until they were almost touching.

_God, could this night get any worse? _

"Is there a problem?" She heard a familiar voice that almost immediately put her at ease. She could make out Alaric's light brown hair and his soft features as he approached the confrontation taking place in front of her.

"Yeah, _is_ there a problem?" Another voice echoed his sentiments, and in came Mason Lockwood sporting an angry expression.

"You might want to teach your brother here how to talk to a lady, maybe he wouldn't strike out so often." Damon insulted.

Elena could barely remember the events that occurred after that. Everything happened so fast, and before she knew it blows were being exchanged and she was being forced to recall the events to the police officer who stood in front of her.

Suddenly she wished she had stayed home instead.

* * *

Elena never remembered dreaded a Monday morning so much. She'd been wracked with guilt the entire weekend as she replayed the events of Friday night over and over again in her head. How did things get out of hand so fast? One minute she was having a conversation with a hot guy and the next her boss gets into an all out bar brawl with said guy.

After speaking to Alaric that Saturday morning she learned that Damon had been released from the holding cell where he spent the remainder of the night. She couldn't decide whether to check on him or not. What if he was angry with her? Maybe he'd think it was her fault. What would she say to him? Should she have apologized? Would he even speak to her? Her mind was racing a thousand miles per second until she actually convinced herself that her internship would be revoked.

She took her time walking into the elevator, in no rush for the confrontation that was sure to ensue as soon as she entered Damon's office. That weekend she perfected every single assignment he'd given her in hopes that it would convince him not to fire her.

"You're ten minutes late, Elena." She heard his sharp voice before she officially stepped into his office. She stifled a gasp as she saw the three stitches above his right eye. Though, even that couldn't detract from the beauty that never ceased to radiate from those cerulean eyes.

"You should see his face." He said smugly when he noticed her staring at the stitches above his eye.

"…I'm sorry… the traffic… was terrible this morning." She stuttered trying to come up with any explanation other than '_I've been too scared to face you_, _so I was stalling._'

"I don't plan on being here all day, what do you have for me?" His voice was stern again, getting right to business as if the other night was simply a figment of her imagination. No, it was real and the stitches were proof of that.

Pulling out her notes she placed them carefully on his desk and slowly took her seat in front of him.

"I'm sorry about the other night." She stated hesitantly. "I didn't mean for it—"

"It had nothing to do with you." He cut her off before she could finish. "Don't worry about it." He said uninterestedly.

Elena should have been relieved that he wasn't blaming her but instead she felt even more frustrated, annoyed, confused you name it. She knew even before taking the internship that there was a rivalry between the two firms, but a full on brawl is something she would have never expected. The way Tyler looked at Damon, and the look of complete contempt that Damon returned had to be about more than business, it seemed far too personal.

"So, what was it about?" The words spilled from her lips before she could stop them. Her curiosity had been peaked and she suddenly realized that she knew nothing about Damon other than the fact that he was a womanizing ass.

"Well that's a bit personal don't you think?" He gave her a smirk looking up from his work and crossing his arms over his chest. Elena almost regretted asking him.

"I just doesn't make any sense is all I'm saying."

"Not everything will, Elena." The way he looked at her made her want to disappear. She was instantly reminded that he probably saw her crying after Tyler hurled all those insults at her, and she suddenly felt more vulnerable and completely exposed.

"I'll tell you, only if I get to ask you a personal question," he challenged. And of course she couldn't back down; because she could never back down from any challenge he posed not when those blue eyes taunted her in that daring way they did. Not to mention after being traumatized by the violence that broke out in front of her, at the very least she deserved to know the truth.

Elena listened intently as Damon told her about the time he dated Mason's current girlfriend and all the drama that resulted between he and the Lockwoods because of it. She couldn't hide her shock at the idea of Damon being in a serious relationship. He just didn't seem like the type.

Apparently there was more than he preferred not to get into, and she respectfully nodded respecting his privacy.

"Now my turn." He smiled that devilishly handsome smile of his and her heart jumped at the sight before plummeting under the realization that she actually agreed to let him ask her a personal question.

"What's your favorite sexual position Elena?"

Her eyes bulged and practically rolled out of their sockets at his intrusive question. "Disgusting." She muttered under her breath shaking her head at his crudeness.

"What?" He asked feigning innocence. "No answer?"

"You're a pig." She glared at him, and in the moment she didn't even care that he was her boss. He as an asshole first and foremost, a jerk second and not to mention a complete idiot! She couldn't believe she spent the entire weekend feeling sorry for him, he was no better than Tyler Lockwood.

"Hey you said I could ask you a personal question, I figured I'd go with a harmless one." He tried to reason, but that permanent stupid smirk on his face just made her want to slap him. _Hard._

"You call that harmless?" She practically shouted in disbelief. "I'm pretty sure it's borderline sexual harassment!"

"Relax Elena,"

Relax? Did he seriously tell her to relax? She hated how seemingly calm he was while her own breathing was labored and her heart hammered wildly in her chest. God, she never had the urge to punch someone so much.

"I consider it harmless," he sauntered over to where she sat on the other side of the desk "Especially compared to what I really want to ask you."

He was standing over her now and she suddenly felt like prey. She wanted nothing more than to knee him in the groin. God she was so tempted… Oh great now her mind wouldn't let her stop thinking about how close she was to his… man parts. _Awesome _she thought bitterly.

Wait did he just say there was something else he wanted to ask her? Did she even want to know? What could possibly be worse than him being an inappropriate and invasive ass?

"And what do you really want to ask me?" She stood up to face him, refusing to back down. There was less than an inch of space between them now and she could feel the heat radiating off their bodies.

She willed her body not to react but it was pointless, she was attracted to him maybe more so than she despised him. But her body would always betray her; she could feel her nipples harden becoming unbearably sensitive underneath the fabric of her blouse. Her heart rate had yet to slow down since he pissed her off, but continued to race for an entirely different reason. She only hoped she did a good enough job of hiding the way he affected her, but the knowing smirk on his face told her otherwise.

"What's his name?" The question was simple and to the point.

"What are you talking about?" She was starting to wonder if he suffered from a concussion, nothing he was saying made any sense to her.

But he just continued to smirk at her, lifting his hand to twirl one of her chestnut curls playfully around his finger.

She swallowed hard, trying to ignore the way her body seemed to tingle in anticipation of his touch.

"Who's name?" She asked, her voice sounding a lot more weak and needy than she wanted.

"The guy who screwed you over." Brushing her curls away from the side of her face, he whispered right into ear.

The velvety sound of his voice reverberated in her ears as his lips brushed the outer shell. Elena shivered involuntarily at his proximity.

"What?" Her confusion only increased, and the web of lust that was slowly building around them only served to further perplex her. She couldn't think straight, she could only hear the smooth sound of his voice on loop in her ear, and the faint electrifying sensations of his hands brushing her face and hair.

"You're a smart, beautiful, but you don't have a shred of confidence." He put it bluntly. "Sounds like a man's doing. So what's his name?"

His words were like a bucket of ice cold water snapping her out of the lustful haze. She finally understood where he was getting at and if there was ever a moment when she wanted to vanish that might have been it. Instead she stared at him blankly and denied his claims.

"Why'd you let him talk to you like that?" He challenged.

She knew exactly who he was referring to. Just like she suspected he'd heard the entire exchange between her and Tyler.

"What was I supposed to say?" She asked. "He was a jerk."

"Gee, I don't know stand up for yourself maybe? "

His sarcasm really wasn't helping her at all. She was already mortified that he'd overheard Tyler's rude comments, but now it felt like he was rubbing salt in her wounds.

"I don't care what he says, he's a jerk and he means nothing to me." She lied. It had taken her an entire day to get over Tyler's verbal assault and the last thing she wanted to do was break into tears again.

"I think you do care." Damon shot back. "And I think you believe every word he said."

"Well you're wrong."

"Am I?" He shook his head, giving her a sad smile.

"Yeah you are." Her voice sounded tiny like it always did whenever she was unsure.

"I'm not wrong Elena, you believe him." He argued. "But Tyler, he's wrong and he knows it. He never would have wasted his time talking to you in the first place if he didn't realize you were the prettiest woman in the room."

"Elena, Alaric wants to see you." Andie barged in to announce.

"Wanna try knocking next time Andie?" Damon asked in annoyance.

"Sorry didn't know I was interrupting something." The blonde looked suspiciously at the proximity between them before shutting the door behind her.

Damon finally stepped away from her, and Elena let out a breath she hardly knew she was holding. She vaguely recalled Damon telling her she was beautiful, maybe even _twice,_ but her emotions were all over the place, and the words she tried to burry after that Friday night kept replaying in her head. She was pissed all over again at Tyler callous words, sad because Damon was right and some stupid insecure part of her really did believe him, not to mention the miniscule part of her was flattered that Damon genuinely seemed to think she was beautiful.

If only she could go back in time and answer the stupid sex question instead.

* * *

**Thanks for reading… Hope you enjoyed. Don't forget to leave me a review and let me know what you think.**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Hi everyone! Sorry this story and my other one have been on an unplanned hiatus. I've just had so much going on, and to be honest I've had most of this chapter written for weeks, before I got an awful case of writers block. If you're subscribed to me, you might have noticed I've written a couple one shots, and it's because writing other things sort of helps me with writers block but woah! this one was bad. Anyway, I'm so happy for all the reviews and anyone who's read my story and took the time to let me know what you thought! I appreciate it. And if there's still anyone out there who remembers this story, I really hope you enjoy this chapter. XOXO**

**Disclaimer: I own none of the characters.**

* * *

Damon watched as her eyes lit up the moment he slipped through the small crack of the door. He hadn't wanted to wake her but to his surprise he found her wide awake the moment he walked in. Grabbing a chair, he sat right besides her staring down at her lovingly.

"Good Morning." He whispered, taking her tiny fragile hand in his large ones. The nurses informed him that she'd been having a tough week, tougher than usual, and he'd made it his mission to make her laugh every morning before he headed out to work. Especially since he'd Her warm smile melted his heart and he squeezed her hand affectionately.

"How's my boy?" she cooed her hand slowly reaching to cup his face in her palm. "You're all dressed up, aren't you late for school sweetheart?" she took notice of his attire.

"Don't you worry about that," he smiled sadly. "I wanted to make sure you were okay first." Damon felt the pang of hurt in his chest at her words; if it wasn't obvious before, it clearly wasn't a good morning for her.

"Don't forget to hold your brother's hand when you're crossing the street." She told him. "Where is he anyway?" Damon's heart shattered into pieces, as her eyes wandered around the room for Stefan. He never hated his brother more than in that moment, but he was almost grateful that she couldn't remember that it'd been almost a year since she'd last seen Stefan.

"He's probably in the bathroom sculpting his hair." He managed to hide his anger enough to reassure her. She let out a genuine laugh that almost made him forget how much he despised both his brother and father, but not quite. Under their father's influence Stefan managed to completely abandon their mother in this most vulnerable time. He couldn't understand how his brother and father could be so cruel. The woman lying in the bed beside him devoted her entire life to them, he couldn't have asked for a better mother. She was the sweetest and most nurturing woman in the world, always level headed and sometimes too nice for her own good.

As little boys he and Stefan had her wrapped around their little fingers, all it took some begging and pleading eyes, and it was impossible for her to deny them anything. She lived to see her boys happy, and it pained him to see her slowly slipping away from him. He loved his mother more than he ever loved any woman in his life, in fact she might've been the only woman he's ever loved at all.

There was no doubt that Giuseppe was holding something over Stefan's head, but Damon made no excuses for Stefan. He held Stefan completely responsible for his choices no matter how much of a monster Giuseppe proved to be. Stefan was a full grown adult who could make his own decisions, and he let fear and his desire to live up to their father's expectations control his life.

"You should get going sweetie, you're already late." She squeezed his hand gently before letting go.

"Are you sure you're okay, I can take the day off if you need." His hand gently ran through the long raven strands of her hair that almost matched his own. He felt guilty knowing he it'd be a week before she'd see him again. As much as he hated it, work sometimes took him away from her longer than he wanted, but he'd always bring her back a gift or souvenir from his trips and it always made her smile.

"I'm fine Damon, now go on." She reassured him with another warm smile.

He fluffed her pillows and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead before reluctantly exiting her room.

* * *

Elena sat impatiently at her desk, her eyes glued to the ticking clock as she waited for her boss to appear. She sighed frustratingly as she recalled he'd been late every morning that week, but Damon wasn't usually one for being punctual.

Surprisingly enough they actually managed to find a comfortable rhythm and worked well with each other. Even though the tension lingered thickly in the air, she was beginning to realize that Damon was a pretty good teacher after all, over the weeks she learned more from him than she ever expected to. His inappropriate 'jokes' seemed like a small price to pay for the knowledge she was gaining under his tutelage. She'd never admit it out loud but she didn't mind it much anyway.

After all it's not like he was _all_ to blame, she hated how her body instantly responded whenever he was in close proximity, the way her breath hitched, the tiny electric shocks that buzzed through her whenever they 'accidently' touched. Earlier that week he placed a hand at the small of her back while demonstrating some new software and she practically hyperventilated, only managing to catch her breath after his hand slid agonizingly slow off her back.

Thankfully he didn't seem to notice her discomfort or at least she hoped, but Damon was a cocky and arrogant man, he walked around the entire building fully aware that he could have any woman he wanted. Sadly it was true, given the number of women that came strutting into his office during the day, desperate for his attention. Elena would listen intently as she pretended to be occupied with her assignments while he showered them with compliments, undoubtedly making them feel like the most beautiful thing in the world.

Elena could never understand why it bothered her so much, she tried to tell herself that it was the lack of professionalism that annoyed her and not the image of her boss flirting with Nancy from the copy room, but deep down she knew better even if she'd never admit it.

God she was pathetic. So what if he called her pretty? Was she really that desperate because he threw a lousy compliment at her? He was an asshole, which she already established. Why did it matter what he thought of her?

He came strolling into the room forty minutes late wearing his bright charismatic smile, his raven strands unruly as ever, in a finely tailored suit that flattered his muscular frame, and immediately she was taken out of her thoughts. He made his way towards his desk sliding a white envelope to her without uttering a word.

She looked at him puzzled before slowly reaching for it. Inside was an invitation. Her eye brows furrowed at him as her confusion increased.

"I usually take Ric but since he's got something to do next week, you're going." He wasn't asking, he was telling her. She fought the urge to roll her eyes at him but whatever it was, if it was work related she had no choice but to oblige.

"Is it just us?" she questioned her heart racing as she read the invitation. It was some week long Conference in Las Vegas and she desperately hoped that she wouldn't have to spend all that time away with _him_.

As if he could sense her apprehension, he tilted his head to the side. "It's just us, is that a problem?"

"No…no… It's fine."Elena shook her head vigorously. The other interns would die for this opportunity and she'd be a fool to pass it up. It was just Damon, she hated his guts (or so she desperately tried to remind herself). There was no reason why her stomach should be all tied up in knots over the idea of going away with him for a whole week, to Sin City of all places. Elena didn't even want to think about the temptations that awaited them there, being closed off in Damon's office with him 8 hours out of the day, was all the temptation she could handle.

She only had the weekend to prepare for this trip that he randomly sprang on her, she didn't know if she could ever prepare enough for it. Nothing would make her less anxious about spending a week alone with Damon.

"Good." He smirked. "It's all expenses paid, Rose should have your ticket and hotel reservations by the end of the day."

"Thanks." She supplied awkwardly, not knowing how else to respond.

"You earned it." He smiled at her. It almost looked genuine, but she knew better than to think he was capable of seeing anyone else as competent other than himself and at times Alaric.

_What'd I ever do to deserve that?_ She thought quietly. Rebekah was going to have a field day with this.

* * *

It was well after five o'clock by the time they arrived at their hotel. The plane ride was much too short for the amount of money that was spent on their first class tickets. Damon had a car waiting for them as soon as they checked out of security. Elena barely got used to the luxury of the flight, before they pulled up to the Forbes Hotel, probably the classiest and most luxurious hotel in the entire country, maybe even the world? She had no idea. It's not like she frequented these kinds of places.

When Damon said the company would be handling all her traveling expenses, she assumed she'd be staying in some dirt cheap motel, flying coach and if she was lucky she'd get a seat right next to a wailing baby. She never expected that he would spend so much money to bring her along on this trip, not to mention he practically scolded her for attempting to pick up her own bag, insisting that someone else would get them for her and take carry them up to her room.

She knew he had to be well off, just with the knowledge that he was part owner of one of the biggest architectural firms in the entire country it was fairly obvious. Then of course there was the car or rather the _cars_ she'd seen him drive to work, but being here in this lavish establishment she had a better idea just how _well off_ he was.

Just after they checked in at the front desk, she heard a loud squeal and a blonde woman almost knocked Damon down as she ran up to wrap him in a big hug. Not that it was surprising.

"I was beginning to worry that you wouldn't come this year." The blond commented before loosening her grip on him.

"What? You thought I'd let your little boyfriend scare me off?" He smirked.

"Oh I know better to expect you to be scared of anyone." She replied. "I'm just glad you're here, where'd you meet this lucky girl in the lobby? And where's Ric?" The blond looked disapprovingly in Elena's direction.

"This is Elena, our new intern." Damon replied smoothly. "Elena this is Caroline Forbes, she owns the bakery down the street, and her father owns this hotel and many others like it."

"Oh my god I'm so sorry," Caroline apologized in embarrassment, her faced turned a bright shade of red. "I thought you were one of his… god I'm so sorry you probably think I'm a bitch."

Elena laughed it off holding her hand out to shake Caroline's. "It's okay I'm Elena, it's nice to meet you."

Elena couldn't believe she was standing in front of William Forbe's daughter; he was one of the richest men in the world, owning a chain of hotels among other things.

Caroline reminded her of a doll, her blond hair bounced with perfect curls, her eyes almost as blue as Damon's. She wore a short pink dress with matching sandals, perfectly manicured nails and her sunglasses sat on top of her head.

"Oh yay, you don't hate me!" Caroline squealed excitedly.

Elena couldn't help but laugh at her excitement. Caroline reminded her of Rebekah a bit, but similarities stopped at their appearance. Other than that she could tell they were polar opposites.

"It'll be nice to have another girl around this year; usually I get stuck with this one and the other one." She said pointing in Damon's direction.

"You love us." Damon replied before excusing himself so he could take an important call.

Once he was out of ear shot, Caroline smiled knowingly at Elena. "So you're his intern huh?"

"Yeah I've been working there a while now, I'm sorry I never got a chance to make it to your bakery." Elena replied looking around nervously.

"Never mind the bakery; you must be some kind of intern if Damon's flying you out here instead of Alaric." Caroline got right to the point, smiling as if she knew something that Elena didn't.

No, uh actually Alaric was busy this week and since I've been working closely with Damon, he thought—"

"Wait you've been working closely with Damon? Damon Salvatore?" She interrupted. "Now Elena, I'm going to ask you a serious question and please don't be offended but are you sleeping with him?"

"Oh god no, he's my boss!"

Caroline could see how horrified she looked and quickly deduce that she was being honest.

"Again I'm so sorry, I'm really not trying to be a bitch, but this whole situation is just hard for me wrap my head around. It's just…. I can't understand why Damon would be working so closely with you, one of his interns without sleeping with you. It goes against everything I know about that man."

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm aware that Damon is a bit of a—I know he gets around with the ladies." Elena said, "But our relationship is strictly professional I assure you, he barely tolerates me."

"The fact that Damon flew you out here to this place tells me that he more than tolerates you, business trip or not. Sweetie, don't be so naïve."

"I think you might be reading too much into it." Elena answered.

The last thing she wanted to do was fill her mind with silly ideas of Damon having feelings for her. He was her boss; a man who could probably have any woman he wanted, everything Caroline insinuated seemed so completely far-fetched when she kept everything else in mind.

"I was with the man for over a year Elena. There are some things that I just _know_. There are only two reasons Damon would ever be alone with any woman, either he wants to sleep with you, or he wants to get to know you. And since he spent all this money to get you out here for this 'conference', I'd say it's the latter."

"Wait. You and Damon were a thing?" Elena's curiosity was peaked and immediately she connected the dots. Caroline must have been the girl he was referred to previously.

"Yeah we crashed and burned." Caroline explained casually.

"Oh. Sorry about that."

"Nothing to be sorry about, Damon and I were awful together. Really we were just a mess, but we're really great friends now so I guess it all worked out."

"Well I'm glad then." Elena smiled. Despite barely knowing Caroline, the blond seemed really comfortable sharing the details of her life, but she wasn't so sure Damon would appreciate it. He didn't have a single picture frame in his office, and she knew almost nothing about his personal life.

"Now back to you Miss Intern, what are you going to do about your boss having the hots for you?"

"He does not." Elena objected her cheeks burned and she didn't need a mirror to know that they were bright red.

"He brought you here with him, didn't he? And you're an intern; Damon hates interns, if you hadn't noticed. Except you." Caroline teased.

Almost immediately realization began to sink in and Elena began to panic. Her apprehension must've been written all over her face because right away Caroline gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze. "Don't worry; I'll get to the bottom of this."

"God, I can't believe how stupid I was." Of course she'd be beyond flattered if Damon actually felt anything at all for her, which part of her still doubted. But she couldn't help feeling disappointed that all her hard work had been in vain and Damon hadn't even recognized her talents at all. Above all else she wanted him to take her seriously for her work. She'd work her butt off to get that internship and she wasn't about to throw it away just because her boss couldn't control his hormones.

"You're not stupid. Damon can be really convincing when he's trying to hide how he feels." Caroline reassured her. "It's just the way he's always been."

"Can we just forget about it?" Elena asked, she had no proof of any of Caroline's suspicions, and she didn't want to make a bigger deal of it.

"If you say so, I just wanted to give you a heads up." Caroline conceded. "But how about we meet up later, there's a bar somewhere in this place maybe we could hang out later on tonight if you're not working that is."

Elena didn't miss innuendo in her statement, but she chose to ignore Caroline's teasing at the moment. "I'll have to check with Damon, but I'd love to."

The girls exchanged information and Elena made her way up to her room. Her mouth fell open as soon as she pushed the door open. The room was gigantic; it looked like something that belonged in a palace. There were bold gold accents everywhere; smooth silk sheets covered the bed, and the most beautiful view of a city that she'd ever seen.

She put her purse down and fell back against the humungous bed in exhaustion. Even though it was a relatively short plane ride, her talk with Caroline was still heavy on her mind. She'd been so distracted that she hadn't even realized that her luggage had made its way to her room.

After getting her schedule from Damon, she decided she'd need a long hot bath before heading out with Caroline later that night. Yet she'd only been soaking for a few moments before she could hear knocking and soon after Caroline's voice outside her room door.

"Elena!"

She quickly slipped on one of the plush white robes before running to answer it. The bubbly blonde smiled before inviting herself inside.

"I thought we could leave early, I hear the bar gets crowded." She urged.

"Yeah, I'll get dressed." Elena didn't have many girlfriends outside of Rebekah, and Caroline seemed like a nice enough person, but somehow she still felt a little bit uneasy about going out to a bar with her. Caroline seemed like a typical social butterfly and the type that wouldn't take no for an answer when she set her mind at doing something.

"I figured we could get some drinks, talk to some guys, then drink some more. You know the usual." Caroline winked in her direction. "Put on something sexy."

"Why do you care about meeting men, didn't Damon say you had a boyfriend?" Elena asked.

"Well not for me, for you silly. I thought it'd be good if you wanted to keep your relationship with Damon professional, you'd want to meet someone else."

Elena couldn't argue with her logic, but it's not like she's had much luck in that department, the last time she tried it didn't go so well and she wasn't sure if she was ready to put herself out there after such a massive rejection.

"And by the way I'm not rich; my father is; in case you were wondering." Caroline randomly announced. "I make my own living."

"I'm impressed." Elena admitted. She thought she had Caroline completely pegged, but the blond managed to surprise her.

"What? Did you think I was a spoiled daddy's girl?" Caroline smiled. "Would I be working at a bakery if I was?"

"I guess not but you'd probably still inherit your dad's fortune right?"

"Absolutely. But I still like to provide for myself. My dad didn't always understand it, but he's more accepting of it now."

She was amazed by Caroline's independence. "That's incredible. Not many people would be able to do that you know?"

"Having that kind of money is really not all it's cracked up to be. Believe me." Caroline replied, a tiny frown appearing on her face before quickly vanishing.

"Now come one let's get you dressed, where's your clothes?"

By the time she'd gotten ready and out the door, her back was exposed, and the hem of her dress fell midway to her thighs, exposing her long tanned legs. She hadn't even remembered packing that dress, but she knew instantly that Rebekah had something to do with it ending up in her suitcase.

* * *

He'd been sitting at the bar almost as soon as he arrived, right after another heated argument with his younger brother, only a glass of bourbon could take the edge off. Almost three days before he'd left a very colorful message on Stefan's voicemail after visiting their mother at the nursing home. It had taken his brother days to even return the phone call; if Damon needed any more convincing of how little Stefan cared, that would have been it.

They hadn't resolved much, there was a lot of shouting, accusations being thrown around on both sides, some swearing and finally Damon heard the dial tone, signaling that Stefan had hung up on him. He swore that even though Stefan didn't know it, his brother had just hung up on any possibility of them ever being brothers again.

He was on his third glass of bourbon by the time Caroline and Elena showed up and took a seat beside him at the bar. His eyes were immediately drawn to Elena and her short red dress. As if he didn't have enough of her unintentionally teasing him at the office, he sight of her in that dress suddenly made sitting down painfully uncomfortable.

"What a surprise?" Caroline said sarcastically. Elena shot him a small wave before ordering their drinks.

"I see you've already kidnapped my intern."

"Couldn't let a pretty girl like that sit in her room all night, especially with all these men just waiting to show her a good time." Caroline gestured towards the crowd.

"Yeah, you just be careful with her alright?" It wasn't quite a whisper but it was low enough that Elena couldn't hear.

"Oh. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you cared about her Damon." Caroline whispered in amusement.

"Good thing you know better then. Huh?" He smirked before taking another large sip of bourbon.

Caroline rolled her eyes before grabbing Elena and their drinks and leading her to the dance floor.

Of course he spent the rest of the night watching them, _well her_. She spent the majority of the night talking to this one guy who seemed really interested in everything she was saying. _Yeah right._ He thought. He'd been that guy before and that guy only wanted one thing.

Nonetheless, she was laughing, smiling and more carefree than he'd ever seen her. Suddenly the most unpleasant feeling washed over him in waves and settled deep in the pit of his stomach, jealousy? He wasn't sure. He knew one thing however; she never smiled like that with him and for some reason that bothered him more than he cared to admit. This random stranger comes along and manages to make her giggle like a school girl, meanwhile the only reaction he's managed to elicit from her was this awkward tension.

He downed the last sip of his bourbon, suddenly very aware of the weird possessive thoughts running through his head. He had no right to feel jealous, he and Elena weren't dating, hell he barely tolerated her stuck up, micromanaging ways. Why should it matter to him who she dates or the fact that the only time he got to see such a beautiful side of her is when she's with another man?

Nope. None of these things should matter to him. He decides, he's got enough baggage as it is. It's one thing to lust after her at the office, but he didn't plan to let himself get emotionally involved—at least not more than he already was.

Damon was about to get up from the bar and trudge miserably to his room, when he notices the random guy press a gentle kiss to the back of her hand. She smiled at him blushing before slowly walking away as if she didn't want the night to end.

Damon almost felt sick watching them, Elena was clearly smitten by this fool, whoever he was, and he couldn't help but make comparisons. Sure the guy was decent looking, maybe rich considering the hotel, but it still didn't excuse the tacky green dress shirt he wore, or the cheesy hairdo that reminded him of something Stefan would sport. He couldn't see why Elena would be enamored by this guy of all people, he hardly seemed like competition.

"Goodnight, Damon?" He heard her whisper as she walked passed him, effectively pulling him out of his petty thoughts.

"You seemed like you had a good night." He blurted before he could process the words that spilled from his lips.

He could still see the ghost of a smile on her lips, "Yeah I did." She responded before walking away and leaving him standing by the bar.

* * *

**Thanks for reading guys. Let me know what you think! :) **


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